O'Connell (thumb) was designated to return to practice on Monday.
The move arrives at an opportune time for the Raiders, with head coach Antonio Pierce having confirmed Monday that Gardner Minshew will be out for the rest of the season after suffering a broken collarbone Sunday, per Levi Edwards of the team's official site. As for O'Connell's potential availability for Friday's game against the Chiefs, Pierce noted that the signal-caller has "been ramping up," while acknowledging that a call on O'Connell's Week 13 status will be up to the Raiders' medical staff. In the event that O'Connell isn't activated from IR ahead of Friday's contest, Desmond Ridder would be in line to draw the start against Kansas City.