5 realistic landing spots for Jimmy Garoppolo after his ‘probable’ exit from the Las Vegas Raiders

Garoppolo could be in demand when the Raiders cut him from the team.

5 realistic landing spots for Jimmy Garoppolo after his ‘probable’ exit from the Las Vegas Raiders

Jimmy Garoppolo (Image via IMAGO)

Perhaps when Jimmy Garoppolo switched Bay Area and moved to Sin City last year, signing with the Las Vegas Raiders for a three-year contract worth $72.75 million, he did not foresee that the situation would turn against him within just 10 months. He lost four of his first five games and won just two more before being benched ahead of Week 9.

To make matters worse, the reason Garoppolo chose Vegas was head coach Josh McDaniels, who got fired midway through the season. Antonio Pierce replaced McDaniels and switched to fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell, whom he deemed more worthy than the 32-year-old.

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Although the Raiders narrowly missed out on the playoffs for another season, O’Connell won five games to justify Pierce’s claims. The former linebackers coach managed to win over the players, which helped convince owner Mark Davis to give Pierce the head coaching gig. It means that Garoppolo not only fell out of favor for the starting quarterback job, but the Raiders may even cut him in the offseason.

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Potential landing spots for Jimmy Garoppolo

The chances of Jimmy Garoppolo being eventually released could happen. That’s the likely course of action for the Raiders after the NFL slapped him with two-match suspensions for abusing PEDs during the regular season. If they do part away, then Davis would save a significant chunk of cap space. This could help them acquire a quality alternative for the quarterback spot. 

5 realistic landing spots for Jimmy Garoppolo after his 'probable' exit from the Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) walks off the field after the Chiefs defeated the Raiders 31-17 at Allegiant Stadium. Paradise Allegiant Stadium Nevada (Image via IMAGO)

Then what about Garoppolo? There should still be a market for the Eastern Illinois alumnus.

The Atlanta Falcons

Newly hired Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is on the lookout for a new quarterback. In a recent interview, Robinson claimed that “all options are on the table.”

Whether it's a pocket guy, whether it's a guy that can move around a little bit, we're just looking for the best guy that we can do.
Robinson told ESPN.com on Wednesday

The Falcons currently have two designated quarterbacks, Taylor Heinicke and Desmond Ridder. Both took turns last season, leading the team to a 7/10 finish. Ridder was brought in by the Falcons to fill the void of Matt Ryan, but in two seasons, he has thrown for 3,544 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 19 appearances. His rank is 26th among 30 with a 40.1 QBR in the league. Heinicke, on the other hand, is a good backup at best. 

One of them might get the chop, and the Falcons could bring in Garoppolo. They are loaded into the offense with Drake London, who in two seasons registered 141 catches for 1771 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. Then there’s the tight end duo Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith, along with 2023 first-round pick Bijan Robinson.

The Falcons also possess the 9th-best offensive line, which for Garoppolo should be great news. Left tackle Jake Matthews, left guard Matthew Bergeron, center Ryan Neuzil, and right guard Chris Lindstrom are all capable players.

However, there’s one thing that may deter the Falcons from approaching Garoppolo. It’s their capital, which is a little over $20 million. Quarterback is the priority, but they still need to renew the contracts of other players as well.

New York Giants

It’s clear that the New York Giants made a massive mistake by giving Daniel Jones a four-year, $160 million contract. Jones was showing signs of decline even before injuring his Achilles midway through the 2023 season. The Giants have the 6th spot in the 2024 NFL Draft, which is projected to land a wide receiver. But they could trade up one place with the Chargers and acquire Drake Maye.

However, they could also add Garoppolo and look to squeeze out a few years from him. He will have the services of Saquon Barkley. With him running the game with his Achilles heel, the interceptions would die down significantly.

New York Jets

If there was any other quarterback who had a bad season besides the Raiders, it was Zach Wilson. That’s what sounded after owner Woody Johnson’s recent dig. But it wasn’t all his fault. After Aaron Rodgers‘ untimely injury, he was thrust into the starting lineup, which he failed to cope with.

It’s more or less confirmed that the New York Jets will trade Wilson in the offseason. They could offer the BYU alumnus to the Raiders and acquire Garoppolo. However, that depends on whether Pierce would take Wilson in the first place.

The Jets could approach Garoppolo when he is a free agent. But he will have to settle for a backup job because, when Rodgers returns to full fitness, he will be the starter for the gang green.

Denver Broncos

If Russell Willson leaves, which is more than likely, then the Denver Broncos would require a quarterback. Releasing Wilson will free up an $85 million dead-cap charge for the Broncos. They can easily spread that number out for the next two seasons. $35.4 million in 2024 and $49.6 million in 2025 if Wilson leaves before June 1.

But the Broncos would still be $24 million over the cap. The easiest decision for them would be to draft a quarterback in the first round or sign a low-cost veteran. They are not in a good spot with the draft because the Broncos hold the No. 12 spot on the list. It would be difficult to trade up and get someone like Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels because the teams above them want the same.

Head coach Sean Payton has experience dealing with salary caps during his time in New Orleans. Garoppolo has a similar history with a rookie quarterback drafted in the first round. Payton may pull something similar in Denver.

New England Patriots

Back to square one? The New England Patriots selected Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He was brought in to take over from an older Tom Brady. However, he failed to dislodge Brady and won two Super Bowl rings as a backup at Foxborough. 

The Patriots traded him to the San Francisco 49ers in 2017 in exchange for a second-round pick. Since then, Brady has won his seventh ring at Tampa, and long-serving head coach Bill Belichick bid farewell to the team.

Jerod Mayo was appointed as the new head coach, and he is looking to make some changes to the squad. Mayo may well decide whether he wants to stick with Mac Jones, who has been on a downward trajectory. Adding Garoppolo won’t be the worst-case scenario. Then again, the Patriots also hold the third pick in the next draft, in which they could bring in a quarterback.

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