A year after going 6-11, the Las Vegas Raiders signed Jimmy Garoppolo, hoping the player who once started in a Super Bowl could help stabilize a quarterback room that had just moved on from Derek Carr. Yet, the Raiders quickly learned the dangers of parting ways with their four-time Pro Bowl QB.
An offense that ranked 12th in scoring in 2022 fell to 23rd in 2023, with Garoppolo getting benched for a fourth-round rookie who the coach said gave the team the “best chance to win.” But the coach may have been right because when Garoppolo started, the Raiders averaged 16.1 points per game in 2023, compared to Aidan O’Connell, who led an offense that averaged 21.3 PPG.
While the Raiders made a big commitment to Garoppolo, they actually got better production out of a rookie who’s on a much smaller salary. The signing didn’t do the Raiders any favors, and now they’re drawing more criticism for the move.
Related: Breaking Down the Las Vegas Raiders 2024 salary cap: Strategic cuts, key signings, and bold moves
NFL salary cap expert highlights Jimmy Garoppolo’s bad contract
In hindsight, Jimmy Garoppolo’s contract looks bad. The Las Vegas Raiders signed Garoppolo to a three-year, $72 million contract, including up to $45 million in guarantees. Garoppolo ended up playing just seven games before the team eventually benched him for the 135th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The GM who signed Garoppolo to said contract has since been fired.
Adding insult to injury, Joel Corry, a former sports agent with expertise in understanding the NFL salary cap, recently named Garoppolo the “Least Valuable Acquisition” of the offseason. While the initial financial commitment to Garoppolo was noticeable, the Raiders can’t exactly move on easily from their big offseason signing either.
If the Raiders wish to release Garoppolo, they’d be stuck with $28 million in dead money in 2024. The Raiders could spread this cap hit out over two seasons if they deem him a post-June 1 cap casualty, but even then, spending an additional $15M and $12.8M on a quarterback no longer on your roster isn’t the ideal way to build a team either.
No matter how you look at it, the Garoppolo addition wasn’t a good move for the Raiders, and Las Vegas seemed to realize it pretty quickly.