In a recent article by Jared Dublin of CBS Sports, he named each team’s biggest “X factor” going into the 2023 season. For the Raiders, that was none other than Jimmy Garoppolo, who the team is counting on being an upgrade over Derek Carr this offseason.
Here is a snippet of Dublin’s thoughts on Garoppolo and why he believes signing him was a risky move by the front office:
The revelation of a clause in Garoppolo’s contract that allows the Raiders to release him with no financial penalty in the wake of his offseason foot surgery certainly raised our eyebrows.
The Raiders are counting on Jimmy G delivering similar results to those he achieved in San Francisco, but without the cocoon of Kyle Shanahan, the scheme and the same plethora of weapons around him. (Davante Adams is there, but the rest of the pass-catchers aren’t of the same quality.)
If his foot isn’t healthy or if he can’t generate the same level of play without Shanahan in his ear and scheming things up, it’s going to be a long season in the desert.
Dublin seems pretty pessimistic that Garoppolo will work out with the Raiders due to his scheme fit and health. But what if he does? What if he finally can stay healthy and immediately clicks with Josh McDaniels like he did in New England?
If he does, there is a chance that the Raiders could have one of the most explosive and well-balanced offenses in the league with all of their firepower. And with a quarterback that can play efficiently without turning the ball over, the Raiders might be able to shock some teams during the 2023 season.
A lot is riding on the shoulders of Garoppolo heading into the year, but that is just the nature of the quarterback position in the NFL. If he performs well, the Raiders will likely go way over their projected 7.5-win total. But if he struggles, the Raiders could be looking at another top-10 selection.
