One of the biggest changes the Las Vegas Raiders made over the course of the NFL offseason was parting ways with longtime starting quarterback Derek Carr and bringing in veteran Jimmy Garoppolo.
Although the move has come with a lot of criticism, as some believe Carr is better than Garoppolo, the team chose to make the decision after Carr’s performance last year led to his benching late in the season.
Carr wasn’t getting the job done even though he had his close friend and one of the best wide receivers at his disposal downfield in Davante Adams, and arguably the best running back in the NFL coming out of the backfield in Josh Jacobs.
Now Carr is the starter of the New Orleans Saints, and Garoppolo is his successor in Las Vegas, with the veteran starter said to have restructured his deal with the team ahead of the 2023 NFL season creating $17 million in cap space, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
The Raiders have restructured the contract of QB Jimmy Garoppolo, creating $17M in 2023 cap space, per source. pic.twitter.com/uXHI2uwaci
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 5, 2023
This is an interesting move by the Raiders because $17 million is a lot of cap space to work with, meaning the team could have something planned or want more financial flexibility moving forward.
As for Garoppolo, it will be interesting to see what he can do with a fresh start in Las Vegas, as he has proven himself to be a winner over the years with the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers but has struggled to stay healthy.
If he can stay healthy in 2023, he might be able to make some noise for the Raiders, with the team having no shortage of talented offensive weapons.
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