Getty Jimmy Garoppolo
Since the Raiders signed new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in March on a three-year deal, there has almost been a presumption around the Raiders that he would be a short-term fix, a guy to hold down the fort and keep the team competitive until a long-term signal-caller is found. Even this offseason, there have been whispers that Garoppolo is perhaps on his way to the team’s bench as early as this winter, with uber-efficient fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell waiting in the wings.
But there have been ample signals that the Raiders have no such short-term plans for Garoppolo, starting with the 2023 draft, when the Raiders declined chances to move up to pick a quarterback and instead took edge rusher Tyree Wilson at No. 7.
Now, there is the restructured contract of Garoppolo, a move pulled off this week, which diverts some of his 2023 money to signing bonus paid in future years. The Raiders can’t get out of Garoppolo’s contract until 2025, meaning he almost certainly will be in Las Vegas in 2024, either as the starter or as a very expensive backup.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, around the AFC, the move has been taken as, “suggestive that the franchise is willing to be tied to Garoppolo as a starter beyond 2023.”
Garoppolo Is Not a Bridge QB in LV
That wipes out the notion that Garoppolo is in Las Vegas to be a bridge to some brighter, better quarterback prospect. No, apparently, Garoppolo is in Las Vegas because the Raiders and coach Josh Mc Daniels think they can win with Jimmy G., and have doubled down on that bet with this week’s contract tinkering.
The Raiders are looking to Garoppolo, presumably a better fit in McDaniels’ offense, to get them back to the playoffs after last season’s 6-11 disaster. And they’re prepared to run it back again next season with Garoppolo under center.
It’s sometimes hard to figure out which direction the Raiders as a franchise are leaning—to rebuild or not to rebuild?—but the way the team has handled Garoppolo shows they are not starting off with rebuilding in mind.
“That [Garoppolo restructure] is — it looks like they’re in it to compete now and make a little longer commitment to [Garoppolo]. It certainly look like a team that’s (not) bracing to trade off pieces at the deadline,” one personnel executive told Yahoo.
Injuries Biggest Obstacle for Raiders, Garoppolo
Whether the Raiders stick with Garoppolo over the long term is not just about the preference of the team’s staff and executives, however. Any veteran Jimmy Watcher knows that the big problem for Garoppolo’s career has been his inability to stay healthy, and he has not been on the field for a complete season since 2019.
In fact, that was essentially his only full season, and it was his sixth year in the league. After that, the 49ers (who were 13-3 that year) went 16-9 with Garoppolo as the starter. Last year, Garoppolo was out for five games total, mostly stemming from the broken foot a broken foot suffered in Week 12.
Garoppolo might bear the look and the background of a quarterback who is likely to get hurt and won’t be in Vegas for long even if he doesn’t get hurt, and who will take other disgruntled teammates with him.
It looked that way for a bit. But, as Robinson wrote:
“That’s definitely not the way it’s being interpreted to some other AFC West teams — or some franchises who were already thinking about what players they could field calls about heading into the trade deadline of Oct. 31.”