The Las Vegas Raiders doubted Derek Carr’s ability to lead the team and signed Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year, $67.5 million deal to lead them this season. However, the franchise’s journey with the new quarterback has not been very promising as of now, prompting them to potentially consider a trade partner for him.
Besides surpassing Sam Howell, Jordan Love, Mac Jones, and Daniel Jones in interceptions, Garoppolo has also been struggling to stay healthy on the field due to his back-to-back injuries. Though the signal-caller’s game status had been unclear to date, the Raiders now have a positive update about his early return to the field.
Jimmy Garoppolo Expected to Return for Lions Game
The Raiders previously announced that they won’t rely on Garoppolo for the quarterback role in their Week 7 game against the Chicago Bears due to a recent back injury. However, there is no need for him to miss the Week 8 game. According to a Saturday report from senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, Garoppolo is expected to return to action in the Raiders’ Week 8 matchup against the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football.
Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who already has been ruled out for Sunday’s game vs. the Bears, is expected to be ready to play next Monday night’s game in Detroit vs. the Lions, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 21, 2023
The 31-year-old veteran sustained the injury in the Raiders’ 4-point victory over the New England Patriots in Week 6. Initially, the setback was expected to be minor, but he was subsequently taken to a local hospital at halftime for tests. He was suspected of having a possible internal injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. Prior to this injury, he sustained a concussion during Las Vegas’ Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers and was forced to leave the match.
Raiders tap Brian Hoyer as starting QB in absence of injured Garoppolo
The Raiders’ head coach Josh McDaniels had been keeping a close eye on both veteran QB Brian Hoyer and rookie star Aidan O’Connell to decide their starter against the Bears. According to a CBS Sports report, the HC had made up his mind to let Hoyer enjoy his first start for the franchise in the absence of Garoppolo in Sunday’s road game against Chicago.
The 38-year-old quarterback started just one game for the New England Patriots last year but had to exit due to a concussion. He also began five games with the Bears back in 2016. Over his lengthy career, the versatile player has suited up for eight different teams, boasting a 59.4% completion rate on his passes, accumulating 10,770 yards, throwing 53 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions.
In Jimmy’s absence during the week 6 game against the New England Patriots, the Raiders’ backup QB emerged as a hero. Entering the contest at halftime, he completed 6 of 10 passes for 102 yards, contributing to the franchise’s 21-17 victory over the Pats. What’s your assessment of the Raiders’ QB situation? Share your thoughts in the comments.
