Backfire: Jimmy Garoppolo has been brutally downgraded by NFL salary cap expert after…
The Las Vegas Raiders signed Jimmy Garoppolo a year after they finished 6-11 in the hopes that the former Super Bowl starter would help settle a quarterback room that had recently parted ways with Derek Carr. However, the Raiders soon realized the risks associated with losing their four-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
An offense that ranked 12th in scoring in 2022 fell to 23rd in 2023, with Garoppolo getting benched for a fourth-round rookie who the coach said gave the team the “best chance to win.” But the coach may have been right because when Garoppolo started, the Raiders averaged 16.1 points per game in 2023, compared to Aidan O’Connell, who led an offense that averaged 21.3 PPG.
While the Raiders made a big commitment to Garoppolo, they actually got better production out of a rookie who’s on a much smaller salary. The signing didn’t do the Raiders any favors, and now they’re drawing more criticism for the move.
NFL salary cap expert highlights Jimmy Garoppolo’s bad contract
In hindsight, Jimmy Garoppolo’s contract looks bad. The Las Vegas Raiders signed Garoppolo to a three-year, $72 million contract, including up to $45 million in guarantees. Garoppolo ended up playing just seven games before the team eventually benched him for the 135th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The GM who signed Garoppolo to said contract has since been fired.
Adding insult to injury, Joel Corry, a former sports agent with expertise in understanding the NFL salary cap, recently named Garoppolo the “Least Valuable Acquisition” of the offseason. While the initial financial commitment to Garoppolo was noticeable, the Raiders can’t exactly move on easily from their big offseason signing either.
No matter how you look at it, the Garoppolo addition wasn’t a good move for the Raiders, and Las Vegas seemed to realize it pretty quickly
