Raiders Urged to Make $11 Million Move on Jimmy Garoppolo

Champ Kelly (left), new Raiders GM, could make the bold decision to cut Jimmy Garoppolo

Getty Champ Kelly (left), new Raiders GM, could make the bold decision to cut Jimmy Garoppolo

Josh McDaniels is gone, and Aidan O’Connell will be the starting quarterback. But there is one piece left to complete the trifecta for impatient fans of Silver-and-Black Nation: the waiving of Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Now, that might not appear to be easy, given that Garoppolo was granted a three-year, $72.5 million contract by McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler this spring. But the structure of Garoppolo’s contract — which includes an $11.25 million roster bonus if he is still with the team in early March — incentivizes the Raiders and interim GM Champ Kelly to make a drastic move on Garoppolo sooner rather than later.

And Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio says that is exactly what the Raiders will do.

“I think that with Garoppolo, what’s gonna happen — I don’t think they’re benching him to put him in bubble-wrap like they did late last year with Derek Carr, but that’s part of it,” Florio said on his “PFT Live” podcast on November 1.

“He’s got $11.25 million in injury guarantees that become fully guaranteed in March. So, keep him healthy, don’t let him get injured, you won’t owe him that money if you cut him. I think, if he can pass his physical now, I’d cut him.”


Raiders Could Save Cap Room by Waiving Jimmy Garoppolo Now

The Raiders would still be on the hook for the rest of Garoppolo’s salary, plus part of what he is owed next season after restructuring his deal. But the Raiders would be free and clear after that. Getting rid of him now also guarantees that he will not get injured in any way before the end of the season, ensuring that the team gets out of the $11.25 million bonus.

All the Raiders have to do is keep Garoppolo healthy and cut him before March to save that money. Benching him for O’Connell is a good start, but he could still suffer some freak injury at practice that would keep the team lashed to him. That’s why Florio is urging the Raiders to cut Jimmy Garoppolo now.

“Let him have his salary for the rest of the year,” Florio said. “You avoid the $11.25 million, you avoid anything screwy happening — weight room accident, falls off the toilet in the team facility’s bathroom. I’m kidding, but any injury that keeps him from passing that physical before that $11.25 million becomes guaranteed, they’re on the hook for it. Get him out. Bye-bye, see ya later, Jimmy G., move on.”


Disappointing Year for Raiders QB

Indeed, it has been a disappointing and frustrating season for the Raiders’ new guy, who was brought in to replace since-departed Derek Carr in March. The team benched Carr, too, at the end of last season to keep him healthy before it waived him over the winter. That saved them Carr’s roster bonus.

But the numbers on Garoppolo’s Raiders season have been downright sad. He has thrown for 1,205 yards and completed 65.5% of his passes, but he leads the NFL with 9 interceptions and has a career-low quarterback rating of 78.1. Pro Football Focus has Garoppolo graded at 65.6, which is 22nd of 36 quarterbacks in the NFL.

As Florio said, there has been nothing particularly inspiring about Garoppolo this season with the Raiders. Or in his career, for that matter.

“What’s Garoppolo ever done to earn it?” Florio asked. “Is there one game where he’s ever made that big throw in the big spot? Where you’re like, ‘Man, that Jimmy Garoppolo, wow, he was on it tonight’?”

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