The Jimmy Garoppolo era with the Raiders unofficially ended on Friday, though in unexpected fashion as the quarterback was suspended two games for violating the NFL’s Performance Enhancing Substances Policy, league sources confirmed. The Raiders plan to cut Garoppolo in a month, a team source and league sources confirmed, after the NFL year starts to avoid paying him an $11.25 million roster bonus.
Garoppolo will not appeal the suspension and will miss the first two games of the 2024 season.
Garoppolo entered 2024 with a fully guaranteed $11.25 million salary, and an $11.25 million roster bonus due on March 17th. His suspension will void those guarantees.
Garoppolo had a very rocky year with the Raiders, starting with his contract press conference being delayed after he failed a physical and needed further foot surgery. The Raiders reworked the three-year, $73 million contract due to the surgery, but then reworked it again after he came back to restore the $33.75 million guaranteed.
Garoppolo, 32, did not play well and led the league in interceptions with nine when he was benched in Week 9. He had completed 110 of 168 passes for 1,205 yards passing with only seven touchdowns. General manager Dave Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels, who had brought Garoppolo in due to their New England Patriots ties, were fired that week as well.
The release of Garoppolo will leave new Raiders general manager Tom Telesco and coach Antonio Pierce with two quarterbacks on the roster, Aidan O’Connell and Brian Hoyer. But Hoyer will also not be back and the Raiders are expected to be aggressive in their efforts to trade up from the No. 13 slot and draft a quarterback, or sign a veteran free agent.
Garoppolo took the 49ers to the Super Bowl after the 2019 season after he was acquired from the Patriots.
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