After watching the Las Vegas Raiders get shut out in the 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, many people wondered if coach Antonio Pierce would change quarterbacks again. Yet, so far it appears that Jimmy Garoppolo won’t get his chance to start in Week 15, with rookie Aidan O’Connell receiving an opportunity to learn from his mistakes after a short week of film study.
However, just because the Raiders may want to see more from their fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, it doesn’t mean that O’Connell’s heading into Thursday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers with a long leash.
Related: See where Aidan O’Connell lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB rankings
While Coach Pierce still isn’t ready to name his starter for Thursday, as The Athletic’s Vic Tafur states, Garoppolo could very likely return to the starting lineup against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day if O’Connell doesn’t improve from last week’s performance.
O’Connell didn’t have his best game of the year, but it was also far from his worst. He completed 21 of 32 passes for 171 yards, 0 TD, and 1 INT while taking four sacks. Yet, the part that sticks out the most is the fact that the Raiders mustered just eight first downs and of course, zero points.
One big factor in the decision to play or not to play Garoppolo is the terms of his contract. If the Raiders already know they want to move on from Jimmy G this offseason, they really can’t risk him getting hurt again.
If Garoppolo suffers a long-term injury, his current $11.25 million roster bonus essentially doubles, with his $11.25 base salary also being guaranteed if Garoppolo is still on the roster past March 18, 2024. In other words, the Raiders can’t risk Garoppolo getting so hurt that he wouldn’t be able to pass a physical three months from now.
Since the Raiders have already indicated Garoppolo is not their long-term solution by turning to O’Connell, risking an injury now wouldn’t make much sense. Then again, if winning more games is the top priority, then Garoppolo should likely already be back in the starting lineup.
Related: First look at NFL Week 15 games, including Broncos-Lions, Cowboys-Bills and Ravens-Jaguars