Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been suspended for two games for violating the NFL's Performance Enhancing Drug policy, which will make the organization moving on a far more palatable decision.
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As Pro Football Talk points out, Garoppolo's contract is structured in a way that a suspension voids the guaranteed portion of his contract, which will save the Raiders $11.25 million should they decide to release him.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, that's exactly what the Raiders plan to do in the wake of Garoppolo's suspension after a disappointing 2023 campaign that saw Garoppolo suffer a back injury that ended his season in Week 6.
Currently slated to pick No. 13 overall, the Raiders are out of reach for the top quarterbacks in the upcoming draft class, such as USC's Caleb Williams, LSU's Jayden Daniels, and North Carolina's Drake Maye.
While it is entirely possible Las Vegas could trade up to the top of the draft, or stand pat and hope a signal caller such as Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. remains on the board when the Raiders go on the clock, the organization could also look to make a big splash in the veteran quarterback market.
Here's a look at the Raiders' top veteran quarterback options for 2024, if Las Vegas moves on from Garopp0lo, as expected.
Aidan O'Connell
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The Raiders very well could stand pat, and move forward with Garoppolo's top backup, Aidan O'Connell, for at least the 2024 season.
O'Connell appeared in 11 games for the Raiders during the 2023 season, completing 62.1% of his passes for 2,218 yards with 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions. Particularly if Las Vegas believes the best path forward is to select a quarterback early in April's NFL Draft, O'Connell could be the most effective, and functional, bridge quarterback to open the 2024 campaign.
Likewise, if Las Vegas anticipates a lengthy rebuild of the roster, arguably the best path forward is to forge ahead with the 2023 fourth-round pick who is only set to count $3 million over the next two seasons. As the San Francisco 49ers have shown with Brock Purdy, having a rookie quarterback signed to a minimum contract allows an organization to significantly bolster the talent around him, on both sides of the football.
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
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Hiring former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy into the same role in Las Vegas could telegraph that the Raiders have some interest in trading for Justin Fields.
For stretches of the 2023 season, Fields seemed to make great strides from the pocket while remaining a dynamic threat in the ground-game thanks to his mobility. Pairing Fields, who completed a career-best 61.4% of his passes in 13 games last season for 2,562 yards with 16 touchdowns to nine interceptions while adding 657 rushing yards and four more touchdowns, with All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams could allow the Raiders to really stretch the field next season.
The Raiders are slated to pick 13th overall, which could put Vegas slightly out of reach for the top quarterbacks in this year's class, but if they believe Fields has more upside from here and the familiarity with Getsy could unlock his potential, this could be a team to watch with a massive war chest to make a strong offer to Bears general manager Ryan Poles.
Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
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There is little question that Russell Wilson has regressed dramatically over the past two seasons, but there is also the possibility that Getsy and the Raiders believe they can do what Sean Payton was incapable of; overseeing a career renaissance for the former Super Bowl champion.
Plus, if Wilson does wind up wearing the Silver and Black, he'd arrive in Las Vegas with plenty of institutional knowledge of the Denver Broncos, and plenty of motivation to exact revenge against Payton and his former team twice each season.
