The Las Vegas Raiders are in the thick of training camp, and fans will get a taste of what the team looks like when they have their first preseason game this Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Raiders added several veterans to the roster, but the most intriguing one is Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo has been working his way back from an offseason foot surgery, but by all accounts is healthy. Despite the coaching staff limiting his reps in practice, the quarterback is expected to be full-go for Week 1 next month.
The injury concerns are real when it comes to Garoppolo as he’s never been durable, but aside from that come the question marks about his ability to take care of the football. In 2022, Garoppolo managed to only throw four interceptions in 11 appearances, but in 2021 he threw 12 picks in 15 games.
Those turnovers have come up in training camp, though McDaniels said he isn’t worrying about it via Vic Tafur of The Athletic:
Josh McDaniels has “no concerns” over Garoppolo’s 7 interceptions last two practices.
“We’ve also seen some very good throws. It’s a very competitive camp.” #Raiders— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) August 6, 2023
Fans might already start to panic after hearing the report, but it’s important to remember that Garoppolo hasn’t done much field work since returning from surgery and is likely still in the process of getting into a rhythm. He’s also working with new targets like Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow, so it’ll also take time for him to build chemistry with his new pass catchers.
McDaniels is familiar with Garoppolo’s game and with a few more weeks of training camp left, it seems he’s taking the long view when it comes to his new signal caller. It’s fair to assume that with more time and practice Garoppolo will start to look better, though in the meantime fans will continue to have their concerns.
Maxx Crosby and Jimmy Garoppolo got into it at practice
McDaniels mentioned that camp has been competitive so far, and that seems to be getting guys even more amped up. Maxx Crosby has been leading the defense throughout the offseason, and he’s already getting underneath his teammates’ skin as he and Garoppolo got into it.
It’s normal for teammates to argue or fight during practice given the nature of the sport, so it’s nothing to worry about as players usually will talk it out and move on from it.
