The Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, appears to have avoided a major back injury in the Raiders’ 21-17 victory over the Patriots. He injured his back on the last drive of the first half and went to the hospital at halftime. Brian Hoyer filled in for the injured Garoppolo.
The concern going into Monday was if Garoppolo suffered any internal injuries. Tests ruled out any internal injuries for him. The Raiders will continue to do tests on the starting QB. His status for Week 7 is uncertain.
The Raiders knew what they were getting into with the Jimmy Garoppolo signing. They knew he had a lengthy injury history but had to find a replacement for Derek Carr.
The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback was traded to the San Francisco 49ers.
On October 30, 2017, New England traded Jimmy G to San Francisco for a 2018 second-round pick. The 49ers went 5-0 with him as the starting quarterback. He was 120/178 for 1,560 yards, 67.4% completion percentage, 8.8 yards per attempt, seven passing touchdowns, and five interceptions. During the offseason, he agreed to a 5-year, $137.5 contract extension with the 49ers.
First major injury-2018.
On the third game of the 2018 season, Jimmy G tore his ACL in his left knee against Kansas City. In three games, Garoppolo was 53/89 for 718 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. The 49ers finished the season at 4-12.
Second major injury-2020.
After a healthy 2019 season, Jimmy Garoppolo suffered his second season-ending injury. In Week 2 against the New York Jets, Garoppolo exited the first half with a high ankle sprain and missed the next two games. He returned to action in Week 5 against Miami. Kyle Shanahan benched Jimmy G because he was concerned he didn’t fully recover. He started the next three games and left the 4th quarter in Week 8 against Seattle, reaggravating his ankle. On November 5, 2020, San Francisco placed him on the injured reserve and chose not to activate him before the end of the season.
He sustained many injuries during the 2021 season.
Jimmy G missed two games of the 2021 season, dealing with multiple injuries. He exited Week 4 against the Seahawks in the second half with a calf strain and missed Week 5 against the Cardinals. He suffered a fracture in his right thumb in Week 16 against the Titans and missed Week 17 against the Texans. Garoppolo suffered a shoulder sprain in the Wild Card win over the Cowboys but played in the Divisional Round against the Packers and in the NFC Championship Game against the Rams.
Jimmy G’s last season with San Francisco ended with another major injury.
He waited to have surgery on his throwing shoulder in March. He fully recovered near the start of the season. Jimmy G agreed to a restructured deal to remain with the team as a backup.
Trey Lance was named the starting quarterback for the 2022 season. Trey Lance fractured his ankle in Week 2 against Seattle, and Jimmy G filled in for Lance until Week 13. Jimmy G fractured his foot in Week 13 against Miami. Garoppolo missed the remainder of the season and wasn’t available for the playoffs.
Las Vegas signed him to a contract.
During the 2023 offseason, Las Vegas agreed to a 3-year, $67.5 million contract, reuniting with Josh McDaniels. He waited to have foot surgery until after he signed with Las Vegas.
He suffered a concussion in Week 3 against the Steelers and missed Week 4 against the Chargers.
Jimmy Garoppolo is a tough player that has dealt with numerous injuries and surgeries. He has only started in every game of the season once in his career. The issue is that the quarterback position is the most important in the NFL. Teams cannot afford to have their most important player miss games.
$22.5 million is a lot of money to give an injury-prone quarterback. There is a possibility Las Vegas will draft a QB in the QB-heavy 2024 draft to be the quarterback of the future. Right now, the Raiders will continue to play Jimmy Garoppolo if he’s healthy enough to play.
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