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Jimmy Garoppolo contract: When can Raiders get out of deal with benched QB?

When the Raiders signed Jimmy Garoppolo during the 2023 NFL offseason, they had hoped he would be an upgrade over nine-year starter Derek Carr.

Instead, he proved to be a downgrade. And once Josh McDaniels was fired less than halfway through his second season with the Raiders, Garoppolo’s time as Las Vegas’ starter came to an abrupt end.

Garoppolo was benched in favor of fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell ahead of the Raiders’ Week 9

contest against the Giants. O’Connell has comported himself well in his NFL action to date, posting 522 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions against a 64.9 completion percentage in limited action.

If O’Connell can continue to play at a solid rate and show growth, then it seems likely that he will continue to start for the Raiders moving forward. And if he struggles, he might still simply serve as a bridge to the offseason at which point the team can reassess its quarterback situation.

Either way, Garoppolo’s future in Las Vegas doesn’t look bright. Thus, there are questions about whether the team will look to offload him during the 2024 offseason.

MORE: Why the Raiders fired Josh McDaniels, explained

In short, the team probably will do that; however, Garoppolo’s contract will be an obstacle in making that happen both via trade or if he’s released. Here’s why:

Why was Jimmy Garoppolo benched?

First, let’s acknowledge why exactly Garoppolo was benched. It was simply because he wasn’t performing up to expectations after signing a three-year contract with Vegas during the offseason. In six starts, he had posted respectable numbers, including a  3-3 record, 1,205 passing yards and seven touchdowns.

However, Garoppolo threw six interceptions in his six starts and wasn’t throwing the ball accurately enough to find consistent success. His 65.5 completion percentage was good, but his ball placement was not. He routinely overthrew his receivers even when kept clean, an issue that frustrated Davante Adams against the Lions.