2. Jimmy Garoppolo
The biggest move Ziegler and McDaniels made last offseason was deciding to turn the page on the nine-year run for Derek Carr as the team's starting quarterback. While Carr had a record-setting career in the Silver and Black, it was clear he was not McDaniels's first choice to run his offense, and Carr was benched towards the end of the 2022 NFL season.
Carr ended up signing with New Orleans in free agency, and in his place, McDaniels turned to a familiar face in Jimmy Garoppolo. The veteran quarterback had won numerous games for McDaniels over his career, and came to Las Vegas with a reputation of being a winner, though it was clear early on his arrival was a mistake.
Garoppolo struggled with injuries and inconsistent play early on in 2023, and when McDaniels was relieved of his duties, Jimmy G was sent to the bench by Antonio Pierce.
It was not that Garoppolo played bad because of injury that will cause his stock to drop, but it was his play when he was healthy that was head-scratching. He consistently took unnecessary shots downfield, showed terrible accuracy, and to see his happy feet in the pocket told me that he was a guy whose days as a QB1 in the NFL are likely over.