NFL

NFL Rumors: Raiders Eyeing Jimmy Garoppolo as Possible Derek Carr Replacement

Could Jimmy G or Tom Brady -- or even both -- head to Sin City next season?

Report: Raiders researching Jimmy G, Brady as Carr replacements originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

The Raiders could turn to not one, not two, but three former Josh McDaniels quarterbacks in their effort to replace Derek Carr next season. 

After Las Vegas benched Carr for the remaining two games of the 2022 NFL season, it became clear that the Raiders were preparing to move on from their franchise quarterback in the offseason. 

Two free-agent options the Raiders could consider just so happen to have played under McDaniels during his time as offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported during an appearance on the "Dan Patrick Show," that Las Vegas has interest in Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. 

"I can tell you unequivocally, this is a fact, the Raiders are looking into [signing Tom Brady], Breer said. "The Raiders are looking into going and acquiring Tom Brady ... Yes, this is something that the Raiders are doing their research on. Same goes for Jimmy Garoppolo. They're looking at the idea of studying Jimmy Garoppolo.

"That's what Derek Carr was up against over the last couple of months. When they looked at him and went 'ehhh, I don't know if this is going to work past this year,' I think Carr was sort of thrown into a defacto competition with Garoppolo and Brady. And it's 'can we do better?'"

The third McDaniels quarterback, of course, is current Raiders quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who just torched San Francisco's elite defense for 365 passing yards and three touchdowns in the 49ers' 37-34 win over Las Vegas last Sunday. All three of Brady, Garoppolo and Stidham have played under McDaniels in New England.

Breer believes that Garoppolo and Brady present the Raiders with two very different scenarios at the position. With Garoppolo, Las Vegas can continue to slowly build up its roster while remaining competitive year in and year out. However, with Brady, the Raiders would be in a win-now mode with championship-level expectations, but without a long-term solution at quarterback. 

"I think when you look at these two options for the Raiders, it's a fork in the road," Breer explained. "Which way do you want to go? Do you want to build slowly and logically or do you want to go all-in? I think that's sort of the way you have to look at the Jimmy vs. Brady argument in Vegas."

Whichever quarterback the Raiders pursue this offseason, if any, will go a long way in deciding their fate in 2023 and for years to come. 

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