Las Vegas Raiders: Adding Jimmy Garoppolo would be an organizational failure
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders are moving on from Derek Carr this offseason, but replacing him with Jimmy Garoppolo would be an organizational failure.
With two regular season games left to go in the 2022 campaign, the Las Vegas Raiders decided it was time to send quarterback Derek Carr to the bench. The timing was interesting, as the Silver and Black were still technically alive in the AFC Playoff race, but they turned to Jarrett Stidham, and for the most part, the young signal-caller played well.
However, Stidham is not likely the long-term solution at quarterback, and in fact, the likelihood of him being the Week 1 starter is slim. To replace Carr, the Raiders have been rumored to be in the market for Tom Brady, who retired, and now Aaron Rodgers, who is still under contract with the Green Bay Packers.
One other veteran name that appears to be picking up steam is Jimmy Garoppolo, a guy who has won a ton of games at the NFL level but has never seen a franchise truly commit to him. He also has a history of being injured, so if Jimmy G is the guy the team finally lands on to replace Carr, it should be seen as an organizational failure.
You do not move on from a Pro Bowl quarterback unless you have a solid plan in place, and hopefully, that plan did not revolve around Brady. With Rodgers not available unless the team trades a host of capital for him to Green Bay, Garoppolo could very well be the starter in 2023, and that would be a downgrade from Carr.
Raiders need to upgrade the QB position
After a 6-11 season, Las Vegas cannot afford another down year, as it would be a stain on David Ziegler, Josh McDaniels, and Mark Davis. They have to upgrade the quarterback position if they are in fact moving on from Carr, and Rodgers is the only player that would allow them to do that in 2023.
Now, they could upgrade from Carr in the long run if they move up to get CJ Stroud, Will Levis, or Bryce Young, but college quarterbacks are all wild cards until they prove themselves at the next level. Going into next season with Jimmy G and Stidham, especially in an AFC West with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson would give the Raiders a real deficit in terms of the position group.
Ziegler had a few bad moments last offseason in his first as general manager, but adding Garoppolo to replace Carr would be an incredible failure. The decision to move on from Carr may have been a smart one, but unless they upgrade the position, another bad season in the desert could be incoming.