Following the dismissals of general manager David Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels on Tuesday night, the Las Vegas Raiders are still implementing significant roster adjustments.
According to sources with knowledge of the preparations, Jimmy Garoppolo, the team’s high-profile offseason signing, has been benched six starts into his stint in Vegas, as revealed on Wednesday by NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. According to Rapoport and Garafolo, the Raiders plan to play rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell against the Giants on Sunday and going forward.
During their Wednesday press conference, interim head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Champ Kelly affirmed that O’Connell would be the starting quarterback.
Pierce told reporters, “We just feel like he gives us the best chance.”
Kelly said, “The guys are pulling together for him.” “They are looking forward to watch him receive his opportunity.”
With Garoppolo’s poor play and the coaching change, the decision to go with the rookie is not shocking. Now that the season is halfway over, the 3-5 Raiders may evaluate O’Connell further.
Due to Garoppolo’s absence due to a concussion in Week 4, the fourth-round selection has already made one start this season. In the 24-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, O’Connell caught seven sacks and completed 24 of 29 passes for 238 yards with one interception.
With a back ailment that kept Garoppolo out of the second game of the season, McDaniels decided to start veteran Brian Hoyer against the Chicago Bears. The choice proved to be disastrous as the seasoned quarterback managed just 129 passing yards and threw two interceptions during the crushing defeat on October 22.
It seems logical to turn to O’Connell at this point because the two seasoned veterans on the team are playing poorly.
An insider told Rapoport that O’Connell is the Raiders’ best quarterback, which explained why the team would ride with him.
That is a biting criticism of Garoppolo.
This offseason, Vegas signed Jimmy G to a three-year, $72.75 million contract, selecting him as McDaniels’ preferred choice to replace Derek Carr. The quarterback’s foot injury delayed the inaugural press conference as the parties worked out the health-related difficulties, giving the marriage an unsettling start. Although the deal was subsequently resolved, it hinted at future issues.
Injuries plagued Garoppolo, who had trouble staying healthy during his time in San Francisco. This season, he missed two games and was eliminated midway through another due to a back injury. It wasn’t pretty while he was on the field. The quarterback, who started fewer snaps than other starting signal-callers, only produced one game of more than 208 yards passing, but he presently leads the NFL with nine interceptions.
In an offense not designed for Kyle Shanahan, Garoppolo found it difficult to move the ball, airmailed a number of passes, and was easily frightened by pressure. The terrible outing in Detroit on Monday night, which included several deep passes that went horribly wrong for Davante Adams, seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s head.
The short-term solution is to bench Garoppolo. This offseason, the new general manager will have to decide if the team decides to forgo the remaining money on the quarterback’s deal and move on.
O’Connell will start his second career game on Sunday over the Giants in Vegas in the interim.