Despite calls to the contrary, Jimmy Garoppolo likely already played his last down with the 49ers. He’s expected to need a new home next season and Pro Football Focus believes he’ll reunite with coach Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas.
PFF notes that “Garoppolo’s 8.3 yards per attempt over the past three seasons ranks second, and his 2.53-second average span to throw puts him among the fastest quarterbacks over the span.”
The website also suggests Garropolo’s quick time of release and impressive depth on his attempts should work well with the Raiders’ skill players, writing Garoppolo “can let the Raiders’ bevy of receiving weapons go to work in space.”
A receiving unit including Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller compares favorably to what he’s worked with in San Francisco (Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle).
The Raiders need a QB after they exiled nine-year starter Derek Carr ahead of Week 17. On Tuesday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Carr will visit with the Saints today as he begins his own search for a new team.
McDaniels and Garoppolo have a connection dating back to their time together in New England. McDaniels was the offensive coordinator when Garoppolo started two games during Tom Brady’s four-game “Deflate-gate” suspension in 2016.
Garoppolo spent his first three-plus seasons with McDaniels as his offensive coordinator in New England before being traded to the 49ers midway through his fourth year in the league in 2017.
One of the few knocks against signing Garoppolo is that any team agreeing to a deal with him also needs to also have a great backup QB. Garoppolo has an extensive injury and it may be tough to rely on him staying healthy for a full 17-game season.
When he is available, Garoppolo has always been a solid contributor. He has a career completion percentage of 67.6 percent and a record of 40-17 in 57 starts. He might not be a sustainable solution at QB for the Raiders, but Garoppolo could be Vegas’s next great residency act.
