In a major move that is sure to shake up the NFL landscape, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has reportedly agreed to a three year, $67.5 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Injuries and Successes: A Look at Jimmy Garoppolo's Career as He Joins the Raiders
According to a person with knowledge of the deal who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, the deal includes $34 million in guaranteed money.
With the signing, the Raiders have likely found their starting quarterback for the 2023 season and beyond, answering a question that has been on the minds of fans and analysts since the team benched longtime starter Derek Carr with two weeks left in the 2022 season. Carr has since moved on to the New Orleans Saints, leaving a void at the quarterback position for the Raiders.
Garoppolo has been linked to the Raiders for some time, as head coach Josh McDaniels was the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots when Garoppolo served as the backup to Tom Brady. McDaniels reportedly sees a lot of potential in Garoppolo and believes he can thrive in the Raiders' offensive system.
Garoppolo has had a solid career so far, going 38-17 as a starter and leading the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC championship game in 2019 and 2021. However, he has also been plagued by injuries throughout his career, including a season-ending knee injury in 2018 and ankle injuries that caused him to miss eight games in 2020.
The 49ers had planned to trade Garoppolo before the 2022 season and start rookie Trey Lance, but Garoppolo's offseason shoulder surgery killed trade interest from other teams. Garoppolo went on to have a strong season as the starter, throwing 16 touchdown passes and four interceptions in 10 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury.
The Raiders are hoping that Garoppolo can stay healthy and lead them back to the playoffs. The team finished with a disappointing 6-11 record in 2022, but has a strong offense that includes wide receivers Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow, tight end Darren Waller, and running back Josh Jacobs, who led the NFL in rushing last season.
Conclusion:
In addition to Garoppolo, the Raiders have plenty of salary cap space to address other needs on their roster, including the offensive line and defense. The team has already restructured defensive end Maxx Crosby's contract to free up $7.5 million, and now has $27.4 million in cap space, according to overthecap.com.
The Raiders also own the seventh pick in the upcoming NFL draft, which could give them an opportunity to select a quarterback or address other needs on their roster. With Garoppolo on board, the Raiders are hoping that they can build a strong team around him and make a run at the Super Bowl in the coming seasons.
Keypoints:
1. Jimmy Garoppolo has agreed to a three-year, $67.5 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders
2. Garoppolo's contract includes $34 million in guaranteed money
3. The Raiders have been linked to Garoppolo almost from the moment coach Josh McDaniels benched nine-year starter Derek Carr with two weeks left in the season
4. Garoppolo was effective when healthy, going 38-17 and taking the Niners to the 2019 and 2021 NFC championship games
5. Garoppolo has had several significant injuries in the past, including a season-ending knee injury in 2018 and missed eight games with ankle injuries in 2020
6. Garoppolo was having his best year, throwing 16 touchdown passes and four interceptions in 10 games, before going down with a season-ending foot injury
7. Garoppolo joins a Raiders team coming off a 6-11 season with an offense that includes wide receivers Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller
8. The Raiders have plenty of salary cap space and the seventh pick in the draft, which they could use to address needs in the offensive line and defense
