The Las Vegas Raiders will kick off their 2023 training camp from Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nevada on July 20, with the rookies reporting. Five days later, the entire team will be together, as the veterans will descend on Sin City in hopes of turning around the fortunes of the Raiders franchise.
One huge change this summer will be at the quarterback position, as the Raiders released Derek Carr after nine seasons back on Valentine's Day. Carr was benched towards the end of the 2022 NFL season, and the front-runner to take his spot is a former member of the New England Patriots with a lot of experience in Josh McDaniels offense.
Going into camp, here is what the Raiders depth chart at the quarterback position will look like to kick things off.
Predicting the Las Vegas Raiders QB depth chart entering training camp
Starter: Jimmy Garoppolo
No big surprise here, as Garoppolo will get the nod as the starter if he is healthy going into the 2023 NFL season. Garoppolo has been dealing with a foot injury, so we have yet to see him practice as a member of the Raiders, but once he is ready to go, he will see the majority of the reps as QB1 this summer.
Garoppolo is coming off a shortend season that saw him appear in 11 games, making ten starts. The numbers were impressive, as he tossed 16 touchdowns against only four interceptions, but gave way to Trey Lance and Brock Purdy down the stretch as injuries once again affected his ability to finish out a season.
In 57 career starts, Garoppolo has posted a 40-17 record.
Backup: Brian Hoyer
Joining Garoppolo in Las Vegas as former New England Patriots is Brian Hoyer, who is expected to go into camp as Garoppolo's backup. Hoyer was contemplating retirement when the Raiders came calling, and he will serve two purposes for the Silver and Black in 2023.
The first will be getting ready to step in if Garoppolo goes down with another injury, and the second will be helping Aidan O'Connell get used to the pro game. Hoyer is known for being an outstanding teammate, and helping young players along, making the Raiders a perfect fit for the rookie from Purdue.
3rd String: Aidan O'Connell
Rookie Aidan O'Connell will likely be the team's third-string quarterback this season, but a strong showing could push him up the depth chart during the season. O'Connell was a walk-on at Purdue who went on to break school records, so he is no stranger to having to work his way up a depth chart.
O'Connell was a fourth-round pick of the Raiders, and the hope is that he can develop into a legitimate starter, or quality backup at the next level. Interestingly enough, O'Connell decided on the No. 4 to start his NFL career, the jersey number worn by former starter Derek Carr throughout his nine seasons with the Raiders.
Of course, you never know what will happen with Garoppolo's health, and the rookie O'Connell has already started to turn some heads. Replacing Carr could prove problematic if Garoppolo's injured foot lingers into the season, so keep an eye on his availability as camp kicks off later this month.