The Las Vegas Raiders had a weird and unexpected end to 2022 and with their starting quarterback. Derek Carr was informed he was being replaced as the starter after Week 16 and left the team almost immediately to avoid being a distraction. That left Jarrett Stidham to finish out a disappointing 6-11 season for the Raiders.
This left the Raiders searching for a starting quarterback for this season. Las Vegas then signed Jimmy Garoppolo and reunited him with head coach Josh McDaniels. The two had spent three seasons together with the New England Patriots when McDaniels was the offensive coordinator.
Why Did Jimmy Garoppolo Leave the 49ers?
Garoppolo was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in October 2017 and became the starter less than a month later. He started and won the last five games of the season to help the 49ers finish 6-10.
Injuries prevented Garoppolo from staying on the field when he was in San Francisco. His first season as a starter ended after only playing three games torn ACL.
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The 49ers had great success when Garoppolo stayed healthy. In the two seasons without a serious injury, he led the team to the Super Bowl in 2019 and the NFC Championship in 2021.
Last season, Garoppolo’s broken foot opened the door for Brocku Purdy to take over as 49ers starter. Purdy led the team to the NFC Championship Game, and the team let Garoppolo leave as a free agent.
What Happened to Derek Carr?
Carr was the Raiders’ starting QB for nine seasons and led the team to the postseason twice — the only winning seasons in his career. He made the Pro Bowl four times, including last season, after being a second-round pick in 2014.
In 2022, Carr threw 14 interceptions for the second straight season, along with a career-low completion percentage. He had only thrown 17 interceptions in 2019 and 2020 combined. In 15 games last season, Carr had 24 touchdown passes.
After the season, the Raiders had a Feb. 15 deadline to release or trade Carr to prevent paying him over $33 million in 2023. He was released a day before the deadline and later signed a four-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.
Why Were the Raiders Attractive to Garoppolo?
McDaniels and his time with Garoppolo in New England was a major reason. The quarterback said McDaniels taught him how to be successful in the NFL.
Garoppolo said, “You can really tell, just talking to him, that winning is very important. I wouldn’t say that’s true about everybody in the NFL. When you do get an opportunity like that, it’s hard to pass up.”
Both the quarterback and head coach compared going away from McDaniels’ offense to Kyle Shanahan’s version as like learning a new language. They expected the transition back to McDaniels’ system would not be too hard.
