The Las Vegas Raiders already seem to be slipping during the early part of the 2023 season, as they lost on Sunday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Raiders got off to a promising start as Jimmy Garoppolo was able to hit Davante Adams for several chunk gains that culminated in a 32-yard touchdown, but the offense sputtered afterward. Meanwhile, the Steelers were able to move the football downfield relatively easily and exposed all the flaws in the Silver and Black defense.
While the loss stings, the most important story following the game was Garoppolo, as he was not made available for postgame media availability because he was being evaluated for a concussion. The following day, Josh McDaniels confirmed that the signal caller was in concussion protocol.
Garoppolo will need to clear the NFL’s concussion protocol in order to be cleared to play, but it sounds like he won’t be able to as he is reportedly unlikely to suit up for Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers via Adam Schefter of ESPN:
Adam Schefter just said on TV that it’s “very unlikely” that Jimmy Garoppolo plays this week against the Chargers
— Raiders Report Mitchell Renz (@MitchellRenz365) September 26, 2023
It’s unclear when Garoppolo sustained a hit to the head, but regardless it sounds like Las Vegas will be without its starting quarterback in an important AFC West rivalry matchup. If Garoppolo is indeed unable to go, Brian Hoyer or Aidan O’Connell will act as the starter though at this point, it’s unclear who has a leg up.
There were concerns coming into the season that Garoppolo wouldn’t be able to make it through unscathed, and it appears those fears have come to fruition. The quarterback also got rolled up on when he took a sack near the end of the first half and looked to sprain his ankle, but was able to finish out the game.
Although Garoppolo hasn’t been very good through three games, his absence really affects the team’s chances of picking up a win this Sunday. The Chargers haven’t been much better themselves, but they’ve got the weapons on offense to really stress out the Raiders defense.
More updates should come up during the week, but for now, fans will probably have to brace for Garoppolo sitting out.
