The Las Vegas Raiders are fresh off of making some massive changes before Week 9 action. After a bad start to the season, they opted to fire head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. In addition to those two moves, the Raiders also decided to bench quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
All three moves were hoped for by the fans and they got their wish. Now, the Raiders can focus on getting their 2023 season turned around, but also building for the future to get back into AFC contention.
Garoppolo has a very murky future ahead of him with the Raiders. More than likely, he will not be brought back next season. Finding a new job after how bad his tenure in Las Vegas has been could prove to be difficult.
After the move to bench Garoppolo, the Raiders’ Twitter account has made a hilarious post about their former starting quarterback. It’s a normal post, but the timing of it with his benching just happening makes the post hilarious.
Join us in wishing Jimmy Garoppolo Happy Birthday!#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/48KY8lowy5
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 2, 2023
What’s Next For Jimmy Garoppolo And The Raiders?
Right after being benched, it would be interesting to see Garoppolo’s reaction to his happy birthday wish from the Raiders. But, the next question becomes, what does the future look like for both the quarterback and the franchise?
Honestly, the Raiders made the right move by benching Garoppolo. He had played really bad football so far this season in six games. His 65.5 completion percentage wasn’t bad at all, but he only recorded 1,205 yards, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions, to go along with a fumble as well.
For Las Vegas, giving rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell a chance to showcase his skills is wise. They should have an idea of whether or not he’s capable of being the long-term quarterback by the end of the year.
As for Garoppolo himself, his time with the Raiders is all but completed. There doesn’t seem to be a scenario where he can recover from the disastrous start to the 2023 NFL season. It seems most likely that the Raiders will release him at the end of the season and he will hit the free agency market to search for a new team.
There are some potential suitors to keep an eye on for Garoppolo next offseason. Among those suitors are one of his former teams, the New England Patriots, and possibly a team like the Minnesota Vikings or New York Giants.
All of that being said, it has been a disappointing marriage for both parties. Hopefully, Las Vegas will be able to move forward and get the franchise back on track. And on the other side of this, hopefully Garoppolo will land a new job that is a much better situation for him.