Jimmy Garoppolo received a two-game ban for breaking the league’s policy regarding performance-enhancing substances, which suggests his time with the Las Vegas Raiders is probably coming to an end. Garoppolo is in a difficult situation even if he has the option to select a team in free agency.
His playing days are plainly coming to an end, and he has a lengthy history of injuries. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated doesn’t believe he will be a long-term starter for a team, but he also doesn’t think he makes sense as a backup.
“That leaves maybe a bridge-quarterback situation or coming in like Jay Cutler or Joe Flacco did, as a quick-fix starter in an emergency, as the paths for Garoppolo back into playing in 2024,” Breer wrote in a February 19 column. “And after he seemed content to play out the string in the shadows last year, some wonder if he’ll really want to do that or if, after 10 years in the NFL, he’s good with what he’s accomplished.
“As it stands, Garoppolo’s had a pretty interesting run; he was positioned as Brady’s heir apparent during the waning years of the Patriots dynasty, and he led the Niners to a Super Bowl at the beginning of the Shanahan Era. However, he later became someone San Francisco fervently looked to replace.”
Then Breer said that retirement might actually be an option.
“The story Garoppolo has written sure hasn’t been boring, if this is the last chapter,” he continued.
Albert Breer also reported in his column that Jimmy Garoppolo’s aloofness has been a consistent source of frustration for various coaches he’s worked with. It’s fair to question if he’s still passionate about football. According to Spotrac, he’s already made $148 million just in NFL contracts through his career so it’s unlikely he needs money.
That said, Garoppolo is only 31 and there are plenty of teams that could use his services. Once he gets to a certain age, he’s not going to be able to play football anymore so he could want to play for a couple more years to leave it all out on the field. It’s also easy to see a scenario where he stays in free agency when the 2024 season starts and waits to see if an appealing starting quarterback job opens up.
