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The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t have any quarterback questions heading into the 2023 season with Jimmy Garoppolo as the clear starter. However, it didn’t take long for the questions to arise because the time of his benching in Week 9, he led the NFL with 9 interceptions.
In Garoppolo’s absence, rookie Aidan O’Connell didn’t do enough to lock up the starting job for 2024, leading to speculation about a competition for the role. But Garoppolo said he did know yet what his future held.
“You never know,” Garoppolo told ESPN on January 8 when asked whether wanted to compete for the Raiders’ starting quarterback job next season.
“I just want to get back to playing, honestly,” Garoppolo said. “That’s why I play this game. … I love to win. Honestly, what I think I’m here for is just to go out there and get wins. As a football player, it’s something you’ve got to embrace. Not everyone wants that. Some people just want statistics and things like that. I really just want to go out there and win. I really enjoy doing it. That’s what we’re here for.”
The Raiders can cut Garoppolo in the offseason, but doing so would mean they’d take on a $28 million dead cap hit.
Jimmy Garoppolo Talks Future
The Raiders appear likely they will move on from Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason given that he was signed to fit in with former head coach Josh McDaniels‘ system. But McDaniels is gone now, fired in early November.
The quarterback isn’t sure what his future holds, but he said he was still confident in his ability.
“I’m pretty open,” Garoppolo said. “A lot of things are out of my control. I’ve been in situations like that before, so I’ve learned, just got to roll with the punches a little bit and whatever happens, I think it all happens for a reason. Just got to make the best of your situation. That’s a big part of this whole NFL thing is, you’re going to be dealt the cards you’re dealt, and you’ve just got to make the best of it.
“I know the player I am and where I stand in this league. … If you don’t believe in yourself, no one will. So that’s a big part of it. But, yeah, just let the chips fall where they may. I’ve just got to get on the field and start competing again. That’s when stuff gets easy. … It was a weird year, don’t get me wrong, but I loved every minute of it.”
Though it hasn’t worked out in Las Vegas, Garoppolo could still compete for a starting spot on a number of NFL teams.
Jimmy Garoppolo Praises Antonio Pierce
A big reason Garoppolo sat on the bench for the last nine games of the season was interim head coach Antonio Pierce‘s commitment to O’Connell, who remained a starter even during rough stretches.
Despite the fact that Pierce is the one who benched Garoppolo, the quarterback said he respected the coach.
“Whenever you bring in a new coach like that, the energy changes [and] I think guys bought in very quickly,” Garoppolo said. “A.P., one thing I really appreciate about A.P, he’s a straight shooter and … guys in this locker room, that’s all you really want in a head coach – someone who’s going to shoot you straight, tell you if you messed up or if you did it right and really not sugarcoat it. And A.P., that’s how he is. That’s how he was from the get-go and I think that’s what guys really appreciated. He just kept it real, man. I loved everything about it.”
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