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The Las Vegas Raiders are playing a dangerous game with Jimmy Garoppolo. The team signed the injury-prone quarterback despite knowing he needed foot surgery. They did protect themselves by putting a clause in his contract that would allow them to cut him without any penalty if he can’t pass a physical.
The Raiders are confident that he’ll be fine but Garoppolo has an extensive injury history and relying on him to make a quick recovery is highly risky. Brian Hoyer is taking first-team reps in practice but the 37-year-old is not a starting quarterback in the NFL. In the event that Garoppolo can’t play, the Raiders will need to add another quarterback. At this point, there aren’t a lot of great options available in free agency.
With options limited, the team may get desperate. Perhaps the biggest name left on the market is former Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz. While he comes with some package, ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez doesn’t think the Raiders can do better in free agency.
“If the Raiders have to look elsewhere, free agent Carson Wentz would seem to be the best option,” Gutierrez wrote. “Raiders pass game coordinator Scott Turner has experience with Wentz as the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator last season, for what it’s worth.”
Wentz Has Had a Major Fall From Grace
It has been a downward spiral for Wentz ever since he signed a $128 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019. He may have won the MVP and a Super Bowl in 2017 had he not gotten injured but he hasn’t been the same since. Wentz is a wildly inconsistent player. He’ll have some very high highs but they’ll be followed by low lows.
He does have talent and can still be an effective quarterback in the right system. However, he has been a bad personality fit on every team he has gone to. He hasn’t had legal issues or major off-the-field concerns but his personality has rubbed people the wrong way. At this point, he has been let go by three different teams, which is quite telling.
Should Raiders Give Wentz a Chance?
In the event that Garoppolo isn’t able to play, the Raiders won’t have a ton of options. They can just roll with Hoyer and tank for a good draft pick. They could also start rookie fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell and see what he can do. That could go very poorly
Wentz can be a headache but he still has upside. Putting him in an offense with Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs, Jakobi Meyers and Hunter Renfrow could be what he needs. His highs have been higher than Garoppolo’s. Now, it would certainly be a risk adding him. He’s folded under pressure before and can get really sloppy with his play. Regardless, the Raiders aren’t winning the Super Bowl this season so now is the time to take chances. Rolling with Hoyer doesn’t make a lot of sense unless the team is looking to tank. He’s a respected veteran but hasn’t won a start since 2016. If the idea is to compete in 2023 but Garoppolo isn’t healthy, the Raiders will have to do something.
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