Though the Las Vegas Raiders have known about it for months, the news that Jimmy Garoppolo recently underwent foot surgery has led to much media speculation. The veteran quarterback has an extensive injury history so there’s no guarantee he’ll be recovered when the team is expecting him to be. Brian Hoyer and Aidan O’Connell are the other quarterbacks on the roster right now, but neither is considered a viable starter right now.
If Garoppolo has a setback in his recovery, the Raiders would be wise to add a quarterback with more recent starting experience. Unfortunately, there aren’t many great options still available in free agency.
While fans might not get excited about this name, Tashan Reed of The Athletic floated the idea of the team signing former Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz.
“Door No. 3 for the Raiders is hitting the free-agent market, but the options aren’t attractive,” Reed wrote. “Excluding the retired Tom Brady and soon-to-be-retired Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz is easily the best quarterback available. Pass game coordinator Scott Turner was the Commanders’ offensive coordinator from 2020-22, so he has experience working with Wentz from last season, but it didn’t go well. The Raiders would be desperate, however, so making an exception couldn’t be ruled out.”
Wentz Has Been Steadily Declining
Wentz is one of the most fascinating players in the NFL. The former No. 2 overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles finished No. 3 in MVP voting in just his second year in the NFL. Everything has gone downhill since then.
The Eagles soured on him just two years after giving him a $128 million contract and he has struggled to perform at a consistent level. He lasted just one season with the Indianapolis Colts and owner Jim Irsay couldn’t wait to get him off the team despite throwing 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions in 2021.
Wentz played for the Commanders last season and played very poorly. He threw 11 touchdowns to nine interceptions in just seven starts. The Commanders were also eager to get rid of him despite having major quarterback questions. The fact that he hasn’t been able to sign with a team this offseason is quite telling. There’s a real chance his NFL career could be over if a team isn’t willing to take a risk on him.
Carson Wentz with a DIME to Trevon Diggs 🎯
Is Wentz Worth Taking a Chance On?
Wentz’s issues go beyond his play on the field. His personality has appeared to irk every team he has played for. He hasn’t been involved with any legal issues and there haven’t been any major controversies that he has been associated with. People must just not get along with him.
It’s difficult to have that type of player around if he’s not producing on the field. The Raiders can’t afford to have a toxic player around unless they plan to have him play. Is he a better starting quarterback than Hoyer? Without question. However, Hoyer won’t bring the team any potential headaches.
Wentz is still a very talented player and could still have a productive career on the right team but he’ll have to prove he can get along with others. Considering where the Raiders are at currently, it wouldn’t be worth taking a risk on the former Pro Bowl quarterback.
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Polarizing Former MVP Candidate Named Potential Raiders Free Agent QB Target