Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
When the Las Vegas Raiders signed Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency, there was concern about the decision due to his injury history. Well, it hasn’t taken long for the injury issues to rear its head.
Late in the second quarter against the New England Patriots, Garoppolo took a big hit but he was able to play through. However, he was nowhere to be seen as the second half started. According to an October 15 X post from the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Heidi Fang, the quarterback left Allegiant Stadium in an ambulance.
I just saw Jimmy Garoppolo get into an ambulance and he’s being transported from the stadium now. Just happened to be walking in tunnels and saw him get in. #Raiders
It’s unclear the severity of the injury but he was quickly ruled out by the Raiders.
#NEvsLV Injury Update:
QB Jimmy Garoppolo (back) has been ruled OUT
It’s not a good sign that Garoppolo was ruled out so quickly and sent away in an ambulance. He’s already missed a game this season with a concussion and has missed a lot of games throughout his career in the NFL. His injury status will be something to keep a close eye on in the coming days.
Who Would Be Las Vegas Raiders’ Starting QB?
Brian Hoyer was brought in to replace Jimmy Garoppolo as he’s the only other active quarterback on the roster. However, it’s unclear if he’ll be the start going forward if Garoppolo has to miss time. When the quarterback missed a game in Week 4, rookie fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell got the nod as the starter.
It appears that head coach Josh McDaniels prefers to have Hoyer come in for an emergency situation but he’d rather have O’Connell start. Considering Hoyer hasn’t won a start since 2016, it will likely be more appealing to have the rookie start and see what he can do. If Garoppolo misses a long stretch, the Raiders will strongly consider drafting a quarterback early in the 2024 NFL Draft. It makes a lot more sense to see if O’Connell is any good as drafting a quarterback may not be necessary. Regardless, it’s a less-than-ideal situation for the Raiders but it’s what they signed up for when they signed Garoppolo, who has only played a full season without injury once in his career.
Will Las Vegas Raiders Add QB if Jimmy Garoppolo Is Seriously Hurt?
With Jimmy Garoppolo’s injury history in mind, it’s possible that the Raiders could be without him for a while. For most teams, that could derail their season but Garoppolo has had a very poor season. Heading into Week 6, he led the NFL with seven interceptions.
If he’s out for a while, the next question will be if the Raiders should add another quarterback. The team has confidence in Aidan O’Connell or else they wouldn’t have started him in Week 4. The likeliest scenario is that O’Connell would get a fair shake to see if he’s a capable replacement for Garoppolo.
The Raiders could bring Chase Garbers back to the practice squad to add some depth. He was with the squad last season and spent training camp with the team. If the Raiders want another quarterback who could start, they could look at free agent Carson Wentz. That seems unlikely. Unless O’Connell starts a couple of games and looks really bad, he’d likely be the guy the rest of the season if Garoppolo can’t go.