Jimmy Garoppolo is no stranger to suffering injuries at the NFL level, and he was involved in a painful-looking play on Sunday Night Football. What happened to the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback in Week 3, and what’s his latest status?
Jimmy Garoppolo Injury Update
Garoppolo was essentially folded in half by the Pittsburgh Steelers defense near the end of the second quarter.
DE T.J. Watt was the first player to bring Garoppolo down. While he had Garoppolo’s legs pinned, two more Pittsburgh defenders hit the Raiders signal-caller’s torso. You can see the video of the play below.
This did not look good for Jimmy Garoppolopic.twitter.com/qnVp3EMq0N
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 25, 2023
Garoppolo was able to leave the field under his own power. Since he was injured on a third-down play, Las Vegas punted the next down. The Steelers ran just one play before the half ended.
The journeyman QB went to the Raiders’ locker room before halftime, and reports indicated he was able to jog there.
Fortunately, Garoppolo returned for the start of the third quarter. He was able to complete the game, which eventually ended in a Las Vegas loss.
However, Garoppolo did not speak to the media following Sunday night’s defeat. The Raiders indicated he was being evaluated for a potential concussion.
On Monday, head coach Josh McDaniels told reporters that Garoppolo is in the NFL’s concussion protocol. Garoppolo will have to beat the clock to be available for Las Vegas’ Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
#Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said Jimmy Garoppolo is in concussion protocol.
— Anthony Galaviz (@agalaviz_TheBee) September 25, 2023
Brian Hoyer is the Raiders’ QB2 and would have likely taken over if Garoppolo was sidelined. Fourth-round rookie QB Aidan O’Connell, who thrived in the preseason, is also on Vegas’ roster and could have become an option if Garoppolo’s injury is a long-term issue.
Garoppolo, who signed a three-year, $72.75 million contract with the Raiders this offseason, had completed 12 of 18 attempts for 155 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the first half. He’d been feeding WR Davante Adams, as seven of his completions went to the All-Pro wideout.
Of course, Garoppolo has a lengthy injury history in the NFL. During his run with the San Francisco 49ers, he suffered a torn ACL in 2018, a calf strain and a hand/thumb injury in 2021, and a shoulder sprain in 2022.
Fantasy Fallout From Garoppolo’s Injury
Hoyer is the Raiders’ option behind Garoppolo, and while the soon-to-be 38-year-old has plenty of NFL reps, he’d still result in a decline of value across the board. Las Vegas had had problems running the ball as it is, and a less reliable quarterback certainly wouldn’t make life easier.
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In a world without Garoppolo, Adams remains a WR1, but WR Jakobi Meyers falls down to a questionable Flex option on a weekly basis. RB Josh Jacobs would fall out of the top-10 running backs but remain in the tier of the position that deserves to be started on a weekly basis.
— PFN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe