One of the biggest stories for the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason had to do with the quarterback position and the signing of Jimmy Garoppolo to replace long-time starter Derek Carr. But things became more concerning when it was revealed that Garoppolo would still need surgery on his injured foot that ended his season last year.
His introductory press conference was delayed by a day as the two sides worked out some new language in his contract in order to protect the Raiders should Garoppolo not be ready to start the season. The franchise could basically get out of the deal should he not be able to pass the team physical, but that is no longer a concern.
According to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN, Garoppolo passed his training camp physical with the Raiders on Sunday and will begin to be integrated into practice once camp begins on Wednesday:
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who spent his offseason recovering from a foot injury, passed his training camp physical, a league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday.
Garoppolo, a source told ESPN, will be worked into practice “at the right pace” to start camp and “wouldn’t call it slowly” after the quarterback did not participate in any on-field activities during the offseason workout program.
This is, without a doubt, a huge sigh of relief for the Raiders franchise, fans and Garoppolo himself. Because of the surgery, Garoppolo was unable to participate in team offseason activities, a huge setback considering the need for him to build up chemistry and rapport with his new teammates.
The Raiders have high expectations this year after an extremely disappointing 2022 season. Head coach Josh McDaniels is looking to get the team back into playoff contention in his second season at the helm, and the team has a vast array of talented offensive weapons. But it will take the right guy under center, and the Raiders believe Garoppolo is that guy.
If he can stay healthy, Garoppolo has proven that he can produce when he has the right weapons around him. With an excellent trio of receivers in DaVante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Hunter Renfrow, a talented rookie tight end in Michael Mayer along with solid veteran Austin Hooper at the position, and, hopefully, the NFL’s leading rusher in Josh Jacobs behind him, the pieces are there for the Raiders to be unstoppable.
Now that he is healthy and ready to go, Garoppolo can begin the process of bringing everything together for what will hopefully be an exciting season.
