Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo went to the hospital in Week 6 with a back injury, forcing him to be ruled out for the remainder of a game for the second time this season. Now, Garoppolo is reportedly in jeopardy of missing another contest for the Raiders.
Facing the New England Patriots, Garoppolo exited the field just before halftime with a back injury. Las Vegas later ruled him out for the remainder of the contest, but it still managed to sneak out with a victory. As the team now prepares to face the Chicago Bears in Week 7, it appears a new quarterback could be under center.
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- Jimmy Garoppolo stats 2023: 82.6 QB rating, 215.8 passing yards per game, 7-8 TD-INT, 68% completion rate, 7.3 yards per attempt, 48.3 QBR
During an appearance on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, Ian Rapoport indicated there’s a chance Garoppolo is held out next Sunday against the Bears.
“Jimmy Garoppolo, the Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback, he was actually transported to a local hospital to rule out internal injuries…My understanding was it looked not good and he’s clearly in a lot of pain, not quite maybe as significant as they initially thought. Still could miss a game.”
Ian Rapoport on Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo
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If Garoppolo is sidelined next Sunday in Chicago, it would likely only be a short-term absence. After facing the Bears, the veteran quarterback would have an extra day to rest the following week with Las Vegas facing the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football on Oct. 30.
However, this would mark the second time in the first two months of the season that Garoppolo would be inactive due to injury and he’s been ruled out for two other contests because of the aforementioned back injury and a concussion.
Who is the Raiders starting QB if Jimmy Garoppolo is out?
Immediately after Garoppolo left Sunday’s game, head coach Josh McDaniels turned the offense over to veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer. As the fill-in quarterback against his former team, Hoyer completed 6-of-10 passes for 102 passing yards, posting a 94.6 QB rating in the 21-17 victory over the Patriots.
Hoyer was a suitable choice in that specific situation. The 38-year-old quarterback has played in 78 games during his NFL career dating back to 2009 and he had a lot of experience coming off the bench in relief mid-game. However, that might not dictate who starts in Week 7.
When Garoppolo was last sidelined, the Raiders provided rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell with the higher share of first-team reps. McDaniels wanted to provide him with ample time before his first start, as opposed to just throwing him into the fire as he could’ve done on Sunday.
It’s very possible that will happen in Week 7. The Chicago Bears are a favorable matchup for O’Connell, not offering a pass rush that would pose a threat to him nearly every time he drops back to throw. While McDaniels might not name a starter immediately if Garoppolo is ruled out for next Sunday, O’Connell seems like the favorite.
