When the Las Vegas Raiders decided they were going to move on from Derek Carr, it’s unlikely that Jimmy Garoppolo was No. 1 on their list of desired replacements. However, he’s a solid quarterback who has experience with head coach Josh McDaniels. His upside is limited but he should be able to lead the offense until the team finds a long-term option.
Even though Garoppolo is a proven winner, there is still reason to be concerned about him. Only once in his career since becoming a starter has he played an entire season without missing a game due to injury. Just last season he missed six regular season games and three playoff games with an injury. He has never proven that he can consistently stay healthy. Raider Nation Radio host Your Boy Q is not optimistic about Garoppolo’s ability to play an entire season.
“I believe that he’s gonna get injured, right? And that’s been my biggest fear,” the radio host said on the April 10 episode of the “Up & Adams” show. “I think he’s a good guy, I think he’s a good quarterback, you know, he knows Josh McDaniels really well, he knows what Josh McDaniels is gonna want to do with every player that’s come in, that they signed in free agency, all who said how much they’re excited to play with Jimmy G.
“I mean, my biggest fear is that he’s gonna get injured because that’s what we see,” he reiterated. “We see him getting injured so I don’t want to close my eyes and act like it doesn’t happen. That’d be foolish.”
Are the Raiders better off with Jimmy G over Derek Carr?
@YourboyQ254: my biggest fear is that he is going to get injured… I don’t want to close my eyes and act like it doesn’t happen – that would be foolish.
📺: @FanDuelTV | @heykayadams
Raiders Need to Find QB of the Future
Due to his injury history, it’s hard to imagine Garoppolo having the longevity of quarterbacks like Drew Brees or Tom Brady. The Raiders only gave him a three-year contract with the possibility of getting out of it after two. It’s hard to imagine he’ll have a long career in Las Vegas. With that in mind, Your Boy Q would like to see the Raiders find a quarterback of the future soon.
“So I believe that he’s a guy that’s that’s injury prone,” he said. “They just signed Brian Hoyer, he’s a backup, okay, that’s great. But at some point, you do have to get your quarterback of the future.”
Could Raiders Find Future QB Soon?
The Raiders’ search for a quarterback of the future could be shortlived. The fact that they have Garoppolo under contract won’t stop them from drafting a quarterback. The team holds the No. 7 pick in the upcoming draft, which may put them in a position to draft one of the top prospects. Now, the Raiders don’t appear ready to force the issue. If they aren’t sold on the only quarterbacks available to them, they will likely target defense in the first round.
However, they could be prepared to take a quarterback if the right one falls to them. Luckily, Garoppolo gives them some flexibility to hold off on adding a quarterback until next year. Though, it’s certainly risky to rely on the injury-prone quarterback. Brian Hoyer is an experienced backup but he hasn’t won a start since 2016.
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Raiders Analyst Shares Troubling Jimmy Garoppolo Prediction