Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, Patriots fans: Jimmy Garoppolo can’t get on the field.
The oft-injured quarterback hasn’t participated in Raiders organized team activities this spring due to lingering effects of a foot injury he suffered late last season, Las Vegas head coach Josh McDaniels said Thursday. Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur of The Athletic later reported that Garoppolo had foot surgery in March after signing with the Raiders, who discovered issues with his foot during a physical.
A recovery timeline for Garoppolo’s injury currently isn’t known. New England is scheduled to visit Las Vegas in Week 6 of the 2023 season in a matchup that could be huge for both teams.
“He’s going through his process just like we knew he would,” McDaniels said, via The Athletic. “Nothing has happened that would surprise us based on the information we had.”
Reed and Tafur reported that “the sense” is Garoppolo should be ready in time for the season opener. McDaniels also expressed optimism, albeit vaguely.
“We don’t play a game for 100 days,” McDaniels said. “Everything that’s happened since we signed Jimmy, we knew ahead of time. … Certainly had an awareness of all of it. Our preference is not to push it and rush anybody back at this point in time.”
If Garoppolo isn’t ready for Week 1, the Raiders could turn toward former Patriots backup quarterback Brian Hoyer, who signed with Vegas this offseason. The Raiders also roster depth quarterbacks Chase Garbers and Aidan O’Connell.
Reminder: Stirring up drama in the locker room reportedly factored into New England’s decision to release Hoyer.
