Getty Josh McDaniels with Mick Lombardi.
When the Las Vegas Raiders benched Derek Carr, they likely had some idea of who they were going to replace him with. The early signs have pointed to Tom Brady being the most likely option. He’s got strong ties to Josh McDaniels and he appears ready to move on from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
However, there’s a chance he retires from the NFL or finds another situation he likes better. Luckily for McDaniels, there’s another quarterback on the market who knows his system well. Jimmy Garoppolo certainly won’t be returning to the San Francisco 49ers with Brock Purdy playing well. He’s not as exciting of a name as Brady but he’s a capable quarterback who can run McDaniels’ offense efficiently. There will be a number of teams interested in his services but Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report believes he fits best with the Raiders:
Granted, the idea of landing Garoppolo might not be as big of a swing for the Raiders as the owner Mark Davis prefers. But he’s a good insurance plan if the team doesn’t lure Brady or trade up for a top quarterback prospect.
The 31-year-old signal-caller may not be a difference-maker, either, but he knows how to lead a winning squad and work within McDaniels’ scheme. Considering the tone that the head coach now wants to set, those two traits are important after deciding to move on from Derek Carr.
Raiders May Prefer Garoppolo to Brady
Owner Mark Davis won’t come out and say it but he can’t be thrilled that opposing teams’ fans keep flooding Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders didn’t have much of a home-field advantage in 2022. Adding a megastar like Brady would only help get Raiders fans to go to the games and that has to intrigue Davis.
However, Garoppolo might be the quarterback that the coaching staff prefers. According to Dan Patrick, that’s what he’s heard from a league source.
“I talked to a league source [who said] don’t be so quick to say if Tom Brady leaves Tampa and plays again that it would be Las Vegas,” Patrick said on a January 6 episode of the “Dan Patrick Show.” “That Josh McDaniels might opt for Jimmy Garoppolo and maybe there’s not the relationship between Josh [McDaniels] and Tom Brady that we thought … I was told Jimmy G might be a more viable option.”
Garoppolo is 31 while Brady is 45 so he could be a long-term option if the team doesn’t want to add a rookie quarterback. That said, Garoppolo has played every game in a season just once in his career while Brady hasn’t missed a game due to injury since 2008.
A source told DP that Jimmy G may be a more viable options than Tom Brady for the #Raiders this offseason. @AlbertBreer joined us and discussed whether he could see Brady in Vegas.
Albert’s full appearance: t.co/9Lslbuz6oZ
Signing Garoppolo Would Allow Raiders to Draft QB
One thing that would make Garoppolo more appealing to the Raiders than Brady is that it would allow them more time to build a sustainable winner. A Brady signing would mean the team has to go all-in next season. Considering all of the holes the Raiders have, going all-in could be a recipe for disaster that takes years to fix.
Signing Garoppolo allows the team to be patient and draft a quarterback. He’s a good enough quarterback to win some games while general manager Dave Ziegler fixes the offensive line and defense. Garoppolo has also proven that he’ll be a good soldier while a more exciting rookie develops behind him. While he won’t be an exciting name for Raiders fans, Garoppolo could be the better option if the team hopes to build something that is sustainable year after year.