The Las Vegas Raiders could have an issue with the quarterback position in 2023 if Jimmy Garoppolo's foot does not heal enough to pass a physical.
The 2023 NFL season is still months away, but it is never too early for some Las Vegas Raiders drama. What started as a delayed press conference has turned into the possibility of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo never taking a single snap in the Silver and Black.
The issue is with Garoppolo's foot, as he did not pass his physical in March, and if he does not pass one before the start of the season, his run with the Raiders will end with zero appearances. Recently, Mike Lombardi stated that this is something that is common, especially with veteran players.
""I'm not anyone special, but I spent 35 years in the National Football League. I did a lot of contracts. And I would say in 70 percent of those contracts that I did, there was an injury waiver of some sort, especially on a veteran player.""Mike Lombardi on The GM Shuffle
So right now, this is something to keep an eye on, but if it lingers, could the Raiders turn to the greatest quarterback the game has ever seen?
Could the Raiders turn to Tom Brady at quarterback in 2023?
Right now, this seems like a longshot, but as we dive a bit deeper into what could possibly happen if Jimmy G cannot go for the Raiders, Brady seems like a logical choice. Things would certainly have to work itself out, but it is not out of the question that even as a minority owner of the Raiders, Brady could finally put on the Silver and Black.
Rick Stroud from the Tampa Bay Times tweeted this out on Wednesday.
The NFL has confirmed to @ProFootballTalk that Tom Brady needs 24 owners to approve his purchase of a minority ownership of the Raiders. Then if he chose to play for them, Brady would need only 24 votes to do so — not 32 as previously reported. That means nine owners would have…
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) May 31, 2023
Even Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman weighed in on the possibility, and while he did say he would not speak for Brady, he could also see it happening. Brady retired after the 2021 and 2022 seasons, and while another comeback could be on the horizon, he has continuously stated that he is done as a player.
The hope is that Garoppolo is healthy, Aidan O'Connell can learn behind a veteran, and there can be some stability at the quarterback position in 2023. If everything blows up, the 2024 NFL Draft class is loaded with first-round quarterbacks, so there is always hope on the horizon.