The Jimmy Garoppolo era in Las Vegas is coming to a dishonorable ending.
The Raiders are expected to release the signal caller, who is being suspended two games for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing substance policy, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
Garoppolo will not fight the suspension and will miss the first two games of the 2024 season, per sources.
ESPN first reported the news.
After being relegated to the bench in favor of veteran journeyman Brian Hoyer, during the regular season, Garoppolo’s release was imminent this offseason. The writing was on the wall when then-interim coach Antonio Pierce, who took over for Josh Daniels, noted rookie Aidan O’Connell gave Vegas “the best chance” to win. With Pierce taking over the full-time role, Jimmy G’s fate seemed sealed.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Raiders will part ways with Garoppolo before a $11.25 million roster bonus would go into effect on the fifth day of the new league year in March.
Garoppolo signed a three-year, $72.75 million contract that included $33.75 million guaranteed last offseason under then-coach McDaniels. The quarterback started six games while dealing with injuries that have ravaged him throughout his career. His subpar performance also led the Raiders’ staff to trust a fourth-round rookie ahead of a 10-year veteran.
Cutting Garoppolo outright will leave $17.068 million in dead money but save Vegas $11.269 million in cap space. It is not an ideal circumstance to give up on a signal-caller after one year, especially in the entertainment capital of the world, however, if the Raiders opt to go with a young quarterback, the dead money will be manageable.
Moving toward the draft, sitting with the No. 13 overall pick, the question is how strong a move new general manager Tom Telesco, who was relieved of his duties along with head coach Brandon Staley from the Los Angeles Chargers, who does not have a history of big trade-ups, will make to find a rookie quarterback to pair with O’Connell.
Garoppolo, 32 years-of-age, will hit an open market lacking in high-upside veterans. While the quarterback will serve a two-game suspension to start the season, he will be able to participate in offseason activities and training camp for any new team. Given his extensive injury history and play, Jimmy G will likely need to find a job as a veteran backup to rebuild his value.
