Getty Jimmy Garoppolo gets the ball off on November 21, 2022 in Mexico City.
Jimmy Garoppolo and his post San Francisco 49ers career has hit a roadblock while on his way to the starting quarterback reins for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Revealed by NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk on Saturday, May 27, Garoppolo’s failed physical for his foot injury now puts him in jeopardy of not playing for the Raiders…which can make him a release candidate. Noted by PFT, “Addendum G” of Garoppolo’s contract puts him at risk of not collecting the money from his Raiders contract if he’s unable to compete for the Silver and Black. Garoppolo already is unable to compete in the Raiders’ OTAs following a March surgery on his injured foot.
Already, the thoughts of where Garoppolo could go if he and the Raiders sever ties have surfaced. And Heavy on Jets reporter Paul “Boy Green” Esden proposed this idea on Monday, May 29 that involves Garoppolo teaming up with a past Super Bowl winner behind center.
“The Raiders could move on from Jimmy Garoppolo if he doesn’t pass his physical ahead of the 2023 season. That means Jimmy G could suddenly become available in September. Would the Jets kick the tires for some extra Aaron Rodgers insurance? Could make some sense…” Esden said.
Esden adds: “A bunch of people are dunking on this, perhaps they don’t understand what I’m saying. If Jimmy G became available why wouldn’t you want him as QB2 for relatively cheap? No one would be paying him crazy money in September to be a QB1.”
Why Proposal Makes Sense for Jimmy G if the Raiders Decide to Move Into Another Direction
Obviously, Garoppolo backing up a Super Bowl winning passer is nothing new for his career. He did it in New England during the Patriots’ era of Tom Brady.
Say Jimmy G ends up a Jet: he’s not only giving the Super Bowl 45 Most Valuable Player Rodgers a backup with his own Super Bowl experience, Garoppolo would enter a room with members of his 49ers past.
Guard Laken Tomlinson once blocked for Garoppolo before signing with the Jets in the 2022 offseason. Of course, former Kyle Shanahan defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is handling the head coaching reins after his run with the Niners.
Saleh, Tomlinson and Garoppolo were all last seen together in the Bay Area during the 2020 season before Saleh accepted the Jets’ head coaching job. Now, as Saleh enters season three in New York, the expectations have increased for the Jets’ playoff aspirations amid his change at quarterback. But could there be room to add one more in the event Garoppolo ends up moving on from the Raiders?
Insider Questions Major Garoppolo Decision
Back to PFT, league insider Mike Florio on Memorial Day questioned Garoppolo’s decision to not have his surgery on his foot earlier.
“It’s now clear that Garoppolo wasn’t malingering. It’s also now clear that he should have had the surgery in December,” Florio began. “By the time Garoppolo became a free agent, the foot had not healed. It had not healed to the point at which the Raiders refused to pay him an $11.25 million signing bonus, instead shifting the money to 2023 base salary — money he’ll never earn if the surgery failed to repair the foot. Even if the surgery works, there’s a lingering question that is currently ricocheting around the NFL grapevine. Why didn’t he have surgery in December?”
Florio believes the 49ers had the perspective Garoppolo would be fully healed by the Super Bowl, had the Niners made it that far. But in the end, the 49ers had no healthy passers left in the NFC title game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
But for Garoppolo, he has to pass his next physical to ensure the Raiders don’t need to make a swift change at QB…plus ensure he won’t need to change his address.