Just this offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders moved on from Derek Carr after nine seasons with the organization.
Now, it only took them eight weeks to move on from his replacement.
Following a string of major moves in which HC Josh McDaniels, OC Mick Lombardi, and GM Dave Ziegler were let go by the team, the new regime will get a clean slate at the quarterback position as well, rolling with rookie Aidan O’Connell instead of Jimmy Garoppolo.
Notably, it seems like some within the organization are quite happy about that, as they told Ian Rapoport that he’s actually their best quarterback.
Asked a #Raiders source why. Answer:
“He’s our best QB.” https://t.co/JsqS7MpqV5
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 1, 2023
Clearly, this speaks volumes of how much weight McDaniels had in letting Carr go and signing Garoppolo to a three-year deal in the offseason.
Jimmy G has struggled mightily this season, averaging career lows in passer rating (78.1), TD-INT ratio (0.78), yards per attempt (7.2), and he’s leading the league in interceptions (9) despite missing two games with injuries.
To make things even worse, the team will be on the hook for his $11.25 million in base salary for next year, whether they keep him on the roster or not.
The Raiders got O’Connell out of Purdue in the fourth round of this year’s NFL Draft, and he looked quite sharp in the preseason.
He already got a taste of NFL action in a start against the Los Angeles Chargers, completing 24 of 39 passes for 238 yards with one pick and a rushing touchdown in a one-score loss.
He also subbed in for Brian Hoyer after the veteran struggled vs. the Chicago Bears, completing 10 of 13 passes for 75 yards, one touchdown, and one pick.
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