Kirk Morrison gave the preseason broadcast one of its funniest moments when he saw “AOC” trending on social media and immediately thought of Aidan O’Connell.
The Raiders analyst said his first instinct was to connect the initials to the quarterback he covers regularly before realizing the buzz was about politics instead. “It’s just funny, because I go on social media, and you see AOC is trending.
And I’m like, ‘Oh my god.’ I go straight to Aidan O’Connell.
And I realize, ‘Oh, it’s some politics stuff,’” Morrison said.
The clip moved quickly across X and into sports media, where fans latched onto the very football-first reaction. The other AOC in the public eye is Democratic politician and activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has been in the headlines recently for several reasons, including the decision to freeze her eggs. She also quietly ended her engagement to long-time partner Riley Roberts.
Morrison works as the Raiders’ radio color analyst and was brought back by the team in 2025 after his playing days in Oakland. He also appears on preseason television broadcasts, including the game against the Arizona Cardinals where the moment happened.
O’Connell, wearing number 12 on the sideline, was easy for Morrison to spot in the moment. The quarterback is currently behind Kirk Cousins and top draft pick Fernando Mendoza, and the 2023 fourth-round pick still gets attention any time his initials show up online.
It was the kind of offhand line that can turn a quiet preseason game into a viral highlight. Preseason often doesn’t offer much drama, but this one landed because it felt so natural - a broadcaster’s brain going straight to football before anything else.
Morrison has already built a strong reputation in the booth. The Oakland native played linebacker for the Raiders from 2005 to 2009, and he brings real team knowledge along with an easy delivery. Fans on social media had fun with the mix-up, with some joking that real Raider Nation only knows one AOC and others calling it peak sports broadcasting.
For Morrison, it was another memorable moment early in his return to the Raiders’ broadcast setup. For everyone else, it was a reminder that sometimes the funniest plays of the night happen between snaps.
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