The Las Vegas Raiders have moved on from veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo after one season and likely are to release him on Wednesday, The Athletic reported.
Garoppolo, 32, signed a three-year, $72.75 million contract, with $45 million of it guaranteed, last March.
In February, he was suspended two games by the NFL for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy, reportedly for using a prescribed medication without having a valid therapeutic use exemption from the NFL. The suspension voided $11.25 million in guaranteed salary, per Spotrac.
Before the suspension, the Raiders already had all but decided to part with Garoppolo.
Garoppolo was benched after Josh McDaniels was fired as the Raiders’ head coach on Nov. 1, save for a spot appearance in which he had one incomplete pass and a sack in the team’s season finale against the Denver Broncos on Jan. 7.
Garoppolo completed 65.1 percent of his throws for 1,205 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions in seven games in 2023.
In the new season, the Raiders will go with second-year QB Aidan O’Connell, who replaced Garoppolo and started 10 games, or veteran Gardner Minshew, who has agreed to a two-year, $25 million deal with $15 million fully guaranteed, per reports. They also have Anthony Brown, signed to a non-guaranteed reserve/future contract, in the quarterbacks room.
The Athletic said teams have expressed interest in Garoppolo, who will have to serve the two-game suspension before playing a regular-season game with a new team.
Garoppolo won two Super Bowls as Tom Brady’s backup in New England (2014-16) and also played with the San Francisco 49ers (2017-22) before the Raiders. He has completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 15,494 yards with 94 TDs and 51 interceptions. In 63 starts (81 total career games), Garoppolo has a 43-20 record.
–Field Level Media