The Las Vegas Raiders moved on from Derek Carr this offseason, but did they replace him with the perfect fit in veteran Jimmy Garoppolo?
For the past nine NFL seasons, the Raiders franchise has been led at the quarterback position by Derek Carr. After winning the starting job as a rookie heading into the 2014 NFL season, Carr has been a mainstay within an organization that has seen so much change during that time.
In fact, the Raiders have not only changed numerous members of the coaching staff, as well as player personnel, but he was a constant as the franchise changed cities. Now, going into their third season in Las Vegas, the Raiders have a new man at the helm of the offense, as they added veteran Jimmy Garoppolo via free agency this offseason.
After years of Carr, and his consistent play, could the Raiders actually be in better hands with Jimmy G as its starting quarterback in 2023?
Is Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo a perfect fit in 2023?
Looking at his past, Garoppolo is a polar opposite quarterback than Carr, as he has struggled to stay healthy, and Carr has missed only a handful of games. However, there are also some positives when you compare the two signal-callers, as Garoppolo has had a much better winning percentage than Carr.
Wins are not technically a quarterback statistic, but for a franchise that has been on the losing end of so many decisions during Carr's tenure as quarterback, this is a welcome statistic. Garoppolo has also played under head coach Josh McDaniels before, and has had success running the offense, so if the team was going to move on from Carr, Jimmy G is the perfect solution, at least in 2023.
McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler have also welcomed in Brian Hoyer this offseason, another former New England Patriots quarterback who has had success in the system. During the 2023 NFL Draft, the Raiders traded up to select Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell, so the position group as a whole looks a lot different than it did a year ago.
Playing behind Hoyer and Jimmy G is an excellent scenario for O'Connell, as both men are known for mentoring young quarterbacks.
The truth is, based on his history with McDaniels, Garoppolo could be the perfect quarterback to unseat Carr, even if it is for the 2023 NFL season alone. If healthy, he is a proven winner, gets a long with the head coach, and certainly brings a ton of positives to the position group.