Before one of the biggest games of his NFL career to date, new Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo received a text message from an old friend.
It was from Josh McDaniels, who wished Garoppolo luck in the San Francisco 49ers' 2022 NFC divisional-round matchup with the Packers in Green Bay. At that point, McDaniels and Garoppolo hadn't spoken to each other in a few years, but they maintained a connection that dated back to the New England Patriots drafting the veteran quarterback in 2014.
The message stuck with Jimmy G, who last Friday finalized a three-year deal to become McDaniels' new starting quarterback in Las Vegas.
"It's simple things like that," Garoppolo told reporters, per Sports Illustrated. "I haven't really talked to the guy in like four years. In the NFL, you meet a lot of people. A lot of different personalities -- some good, some bad. When you find a good one and you find someone who really cares about winning and cares about you as a player, for him to send that text? He didn't need to do that. But I don't know, when you meet a good person, you like to keep them around."
The appreciation of personality and character appears to be mutual, too. Garoppolo's prospects to fit into the Raiders' culture reportedly were a big reason why Las Vegas was willing to part ways with longtime starter Derek Carr.
