With the frenzy of the NFL's “legal” tampering starting this afternoon, a flurry of moves have already come in, though these moves won't be agreed to until Wednesday at 4PM. The Detroit Lions have already made a significant move, signing Cam Sutton to a three-year deal. And, now. the Las Vegas Raiders have replaced their long-time quarterback, Derek Carr with Jimmy Garapolo.
Why it matters:
The Raiders were in desperate need of a quarterback. They'll now have Jimmy G to run the show for them, with the departure of not only Carr to the Saints, but also Jarred Stitham to the Denver Broncos. Garoppolo will be teaming back up with Josh McDaniels, his former coordinator in New England. Garappolo signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal, with an AAV of $22.5M.
Jimmy Garoppolo by the numbers:
Looking at his stats, Garoppolo has been a consistently solid performer throughout his career, with a completion percentage of 67.5% and a passer rating of 98.5. In the 2020 season, he played in 6 games, completing 67.1% of his passes for 1,096 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.
One area where Garoppolo has struggled, however, is with injuries. He has missed significant time due to various injuries, including a high ankle sprain that forced him to sit out several games in the 2020 season. This has led to some questions about his durability and whether he can stay healthy enough to be a reliable starter for the 49ers.
Despite these concerns, Garoppolo has shown that he can be an effective quarterback when healthy, leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in the 2019 season. He has a quick release, good accuracy, and the ability to make smart decisions with the football.
The big picture:
The Las Vegas Raiders needed a steady, consistent quarterback. They got that in Jimmy G. However, questions surrounding his health will always be there. Does this move set the Raiders up for long-term success? No, it doesn't. But it does allow them the opportunity to have a consistent starter, while potentially going after one of the available quarterbacks in the upcoming draft.
