In a recent article by Bill Barnwell of ESPN, he wrote about 13 franchises that could be searching for a new franchise quarterback this offseason and what their plans might be. For the Raiders, the first step is moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Raiders signed Garoppolo to a three-year deal this offseason, only to restructure the deal before the season began. And then after six weeks, they sent Garoppolo to the bench in favor of Aidan O’Connell.
Here is a snippet of what Barnwell had to say about Garoppolo and what his future will be in Las Vegas:
Barring a stunning turn of events, the Raiders will release Garoppolo, who will end up making just over $35 million for six starts in a Raiders uniform. And $11.3 million of that figure is in a guaranteed bonus that comes due next season. Vegas will have nearly $29 million in dead money for Garoppolo spread over the next two years on its cap.
According to OverTheCap.com, the Raiders would save only $199K if they were to release Garoppolo straight up this offseason. If they designate him as a post-June 1 cut, that would save $13 million on their 2024 cap space. That is probably the direction the Raiders will go in order to get some relief on the Garoppolo contract.
The Raiders will need to add a quarterback in some capacity this offseason. The expectation is that they will draft or sign someone to be their Day 1 starter. But if O’Connell shows enough over these next three games, there is a chance they could search for a veteran to back him up. However, don’t expect Garoppolo to be part of the equation in Las Vegas in 2024.
