Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
Many Las Vegas Raiders weren’t overly enthused with the decision to replace Derek Carr with Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason. A big reason for that was due to Garoppolo’s injury history. He has played more than 11 games in a season just twice in his nine-year career.
Worries about Garoppolo’s health won’t be going away anytime soon as head coach Josh McDaniels revealed that the quarterback may not be ready to practice until training camp. That led to Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic uncovering that the quarterback underwent foot surgery after he already signed his contract with the Raiders. The team doesn’t seem very concerned about the surgery and the expectation is that he will be ready by training camp. However, Garoppolo’s extensive injury history can’t be ignored and a setback is something the team should prepare for.
Luckily, they may already have the greatest quarterback of all time in the building. Owner Mark Davis recently revealed that he has agreed to a deal with Tom Brady for him to become a part owner of the team, pending NFL approval. This led to Rich Eisen floating the idea of Brady starting the season as the Raiders’ quarterback if Garoppolo isn’t ready to go.
“It’s so amazing what a minority owner can do,” Eisen said on the May 25 episode of the “Rich Eisen Show.” “Sometimes, they just bring their family and go to the games. Others put on a helmet.”
Eisen eventually came to the conclusion that it’s probably not going to happen but it certainly does open up an interesting discussion.
Could Brady Play for Raiders This Season?
If Brady does get approved by the NFL to become a part owner of the Raiders, he would also need league approval if he’s going to play again. If he doesn’t plan to come out of retirement, Las Vegas would almost certainly have to be the destination considering his possible ownership of the team. However, Brady has previously said that he’s done for good.
He’ll be 46 when the season starts and taking the offseason off only to return for the regular season is much more difficult to pull off at an older age. Brady takes care of himself and if he doesn’t truly believe he’s done playing football, he’s likely still working hard to stay in shape. That said, if the Raiders thought Brady was going to play again, it’s hard to imagine they would’ve even signed Garoppolo in the first place. While it’s a fun idea to have Brady make a surprising comeback on the Raiders, it’s highly unlikely to happen.
Is Garoppolo’s Surgery Cause for Concern?
Any time a key player like the starting quarterback has to undergo surgery, it is cause for concern. That said, it appears the Raiders knew Garoppolo’s situation prior to signing him. That’s why there was a delay in his press conference when he first signed. The Raiders had a chance to back out but they didn’t.
This is certainly going to be a situation to watch as the offseason goes on. If Garoppolo doesn’t end up being ready for training camp, then that might be time to start getting worried.
