Jimmy Garoppolo

Rams QB Jimmy Garoppolo Addresses Health, Free Agency

August 17th, 2024 at 8:26pm CST by Adam La Rose

After being benched in favor of Aidan O’Connell midway through the 2023 season, it was clear Jimmy Garoppolo would need to find a new team in free agency. The veteran passer wound up taking the Rams’ backup gig, a move he recently reflected on.

Garoppolo noted the presence of starter Matthew Stafford and head coach Sean McVay as key factors in his decision to sign with Los Angeles during an interview with The Athletic’s Jeff Howe (subscription required). The 32-year-old took a one-year deal with a base value of $3.18MM to serve as Stafford’s No. 2 this season. He noted that other teams had interest in him, but a decision to join the Rams was made rather quickly with an agreement being reached on March 20.

“This place allows you to be yourself, too, which is different than other places I’ve been,” Garoppolo said about his new employer (while declining to go into further detail on his previous stops). “You’re getting pressed with a sense of urgency but in a good way… They do it in the right way here. They push you positively.”

The former second-rounder did fill the role of Tom Brady New England successor he was drafted to hold, but he made 55 starts across six seasons with the 49ers. Brock Purdy‘s emergence made Garoppolo expendable, though, and he signed with the Raiders last March. That move had him lined up for starting duties under Josh McDaniels, but Vegas’ decision to start over on the sidelines and in the front office (not to mention Garoppolo’s latest injury issues) left O’Connell atop the depth chart to close out the season.

Now, Garoppolo will spend at least one year attempting to remain healthy and in doing so provide the Rams with an experienced option if Stafford, 36, misses time. The latter had his contract restructured this summer, but the team views his future on a year-to-year basis. It is therefore uncertain who will be under center for Los Angeles in 2025, but in Garoppolo’s case a return to health ahead of the coming campaign carries signficant value on its own.

“It’s really nice having a healthy offseason,” he said. “I haven’t had one of those in awhile. The foot surgery was tough last year. For anyone who’s ever been through that, that wasn’t a fun recovery, but I feel like I’m back to myself. Being in this role, I get to experiment with some things, being with the 2s… I haven’t had that in a little while, so it feels nice to get back to that.”

Rams Looking At Matthew Stafford As Year-To-Year Proposition

August 12th, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Much of this offseason’s Rams-Matthew Stafford negotiations appeared to stem from the quarterback wanting more security beyond 2024. The resolution brought a different result, calling the talented passer’s Los Angeles future into question.

The team moved $5MM from future years into 2024, benefiting the 16th-year veteran now rather than later. Although Stafford saw a $4MM 2025 roster bonus become part of his $40MM guarantee package on this revision, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Rams are still viewing this partnership through a year-to-year lens. The former Lions mainstay’s contract — a four-year, $160MM deal agreed to following Super Bowl LVI — still runs through 2026.

After a concerning 2022 packed with multiple injuries, Stafford rebounded to lift what had been viewed as a retooling Rams team back into the playoffs. The team returns Stafford’s receiving corps from last season, which is poised to include a healthy Cooper Kupp, and did not let its QB’s contract matter drag into training camp like a few other NFC situations. As of now, the Rams believe Stafford is still playing at a high level and want him back beyond 2024, Fowler adds. But injuries have become a regular issue for the cannon-armed QB, making retirement a subject that will be monitored from the team’s side.

Stafford, 36, has deflected retirement rumors in the past and has seen QBs play well into their late 30s and, in some cases, past 40. Sean McVay also said the Rams are content with Stafford as long as he wants to play. This might not be a matter the Rams need to worry about just yet. After all, ex-McVay staffers in Atlanta are preparing to coach a soon-to-be 36-year-old Kirk Cousins — who just received a $100MM practical guarantee — coming off Achilles surgery. But Stafford is obviously on the back nine of his career.

Only that $4MM roster bonus is guaranteed beyond 2024, but the Rams would face a $49.33MM dead money bill if Stafford retired after this season. His 2025 cap number is scheduled to be $49.67MM. That would set an NFL record, but we are close to seeing the bar move here. Deshaun Watson is on the cusp of playing on a $63.77MM cap number, while Dak Prescott — absent an extension — is at $55.13MM. Daniel Jones and Kyler Murray join Stafford in being set to play on $45MM-plus cap figures this season.

While Jared Goff has rebounded in Detroit, Stafford played the lead role in pushing Los Angeles’ 2021 effort to the mountaintop. He also received, believe it or not, his first original-ballot Pro Bowl invite last season, ranking sixth in QBR as well. The Rams should remain in good hands as long as their starter is healthy, though Fowler adds the Jimmy Garoppolo addition generated some attention — despite the former 49ers starter’s rough Raiders year — this offseason.

Taking over for Carson Wentz as the latest McVay QB2 reboot candidate, Garoppolo will have a chance to stabilize his career in L.A. Baker Mayfield‘s L.A. stint did not generate a strong free agent market, but it provided some momentum after a disastrous Panthers campaign. Garoppolo’s contract expires in March, though the 32-year-old passer becoming an immediate fit with McVay would naturally attract mutual interest in a reunion. This could depend on Stafford’s plans, as Garoppolo should still stand to have some options in 2025.

Eventually, the Rams will need a true heir apparent. For now, they are fine with Stafford. They spent big on guards (Kevin Dotson, Jonah Jackson) to help protect their centerpiece player. This situation will still be one to monitor, especially if another Stafford injury leads to Garoppolo playing time.

Davante Adams Addresses Raiders’ Decision To Bench Jimmy Garoppolo

July 15th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Raiders signed Jimmy Garoppolo last offseason, but he struggled early in the campaign. That was followed by a pair of missed contests and the midseason firings of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler. By the time the veteran quarterback was healthy, he had been benched in favor of rookie Aidan O’Connell.

The latter held starting duties through the remainder of the season, a period with interim head coach Antonio Pierce at the helm. Pierce was hired on a full-time basis after receiving the endorsement of several high-profile Raiders players. One of those was wideout Davante Adams, who appears to have had a say in the decision to replace Garoppolo with O’Connell.

A scene from Netflix’s Receiver series shows Adams being asked his thoughts on the QB decision. The three-time All-Pro replies, “well, my opinion on that was that I signed off on that, and that’s just the reality of it” (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).

It comes as little surprise Adams’ opinion would be asked about a quarterback switch, but his remark suggests further frustration between he and the team could have emerged had Garoppolo stayed in place. Adams joined Vegas in the hopes of reuniting with former college teammate Derek Carr, but that was only the case for one year. Carr’s departure prompted the ill-fated Garoppolo signing and questions about Adams’ future with the Raiders. It seems his desire to remain with the organization was a factor in his view on the shift to O’Connell.

“I love Jimmy.” the 31-year-old added. “He’s a great guy, but something had to happen in order for us to have a chance down the stretch, and for me to remain a Raider, in all honesty.”

Adams recently offered a public commitment to Vegas despite continued interest on the part of former teammates (including Aaron Rodgers) to have him seek a trade elsewhere. Such a move is unlikely at this point, but it is clear Adams had his short- and long-term future in mind when giving his thoughts on the Raiders’ 2023 QB depth chart. O’Connell is still in place, and he will spend training camp competing for the No. 1 gig with Gardner Minshew.

As for Adams, three years remain on his contract (although no guaranteed salary is in place beyond 2024). The six-time Pro Bowler’s cap hits are scheduled to spike next offseason, so an extension or other adjustment could be needed by that point. It will be interesting to see how he meshes with O’Connell and/or Minshew over the course of the coming campaign during Pierce’s first full year as head coach.

NFL Active Leaders In Career Earnings

July 13th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Kirk Cousins‘ four-year, $180MM deal with the Falcons this season vaulted him up the list of active career earners. This was by virtue of his $50MM signing bonus, adding to the more than $231MM he earned from the Commanders and (mostly) the Vikings throughout his career. Even under the worst-case scenario, Cousins will still see at least another $50MM come his way via his contract with Atlanta, which would push his career earnings north of $331MM.

While the soon-to-be 36-year-old Cousins will surely see a significant portion of the $80MM worth of unguaranteed money on his contract, he’ll still be hard pressed to catch Aaron Rodgers on the career-earnings list. Rodgers earned more than $306MM during his long tenure in Green Bay, and he’s already made close to $37MM during his one season in New York (mostly via the $35MM signing bonus on his reworked pact).

With at least $40MM of additional guarantees coming his way from the Jets, Rodgers will continue to grow his lead as the highest-earning NFL player of all time. Both Rodgers and Matthew Stafford were able to leap Tom Brady among the NFL’s highest all-time earners over the past year.

With all that said, we’ve listed the 25 active players who have earned the most money in their NFL careers (h/t to OverTheCap.com). While this list is up to date, it doesn’t account for soon-to-realized salaries for the 2024 campaign. This list is also solely focused on NFL cash and does not include off-the-field earnings:

QB Aaron Rodgers: $343MM
QB Matthew Stafford: $328MM
QB Russell Wilson: $305MM
QB Kirk Cousins: $281MM
QB Jared Goff: $234MM
LB Von Miller: $179MM
QB Joe Flacco: $177MM
OT Trent Williams: $171MM
QB Derek Carr: $165MM
LB Khalil Mack: $162MM
QB Dak Prescott: $161MM
DL Aaron Donald: $157MM
QB Jimmy Garoppolo: $150MM
DE Calais Campbell: $143MM
QB Deshaun Watson: $142MM
QB Patrick Mahomes: $136MM
DE Joey Bosa: $134MM
DL Leonard Williams: $134MM
WR Mike Evans: $132MM
QB Carson Wentz: $130MM
WR DeAndre Hopkins: $128MM
WR Stefon Diggs: $126MM
DE Cameron Jordan: $126MM
OT Lane Johnson: $121MM
DT Chris Jones: $120MM

NFC Contract Details: Bucs, Mayfield, Eagles, Sweat, Parker, Rams, Garoppolo, Saints

April 3rd, 2024 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the details from some of the recently agreed-upon contracts around the NFC:

Baker Mayfield, QB (Buccaneers). Three years, $100MM. Of the $50MM in Mayfield guarantees, $40MM is fully guaranteed. The other $10MM will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2025 league year. Mayfield can also earn $5MM per year via incentives, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman notes. Half of those are stat-based incentives. If Mayfield finishes in the top 10 in the NFL (or top five in the NFC) in passer rating, TD passes, yards, yards per attempt or completion percentage in any of the three years, he would earn $500K per category, Auman adds. The other $2.5MM per year comes through playoff incentives. Mayfield would earn $500K for a Bucs wild-card win, $750K for a divisional-round conquest and $500K for an NFC championship game win. If the Bucs are to win a Super Bowl with Mayfield at the helm, he would collect another $750K.
Darious Williams, CB (Rams). Three years, $22.5MM. Only $7MM of Williams’ $15MM guarantee is locked in at signing, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. This contract’s key date will come on Day 5 of the 2025 league year, when the remaining $8MM will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee. Barring injury, this effectively makes 2024 a “prove it” year for the now-two-time Rams CB.
Josh Sweat, DE (Eagles). One year, $10MM. The Eagles’ Sweat rework will bring $9.5MM guaranteed for the veteran defensive end, per OverTheCap. Philly used four void years to spread out the cap hit, which sits at $8.1MM for 2024. If Sweat signs elsewhere before this contract’s March 2025 expiration, the Eagles will be tagged with $16.4MM in dead money.
Cedrick Wilson, WR (Saints). Two years, $5.75MM. The Saints are guaranteeing Wilson $2.85MM, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell notes. The second-generation NFL wideout will be due a $200K roster bonus in 2025; none of Wilson’s ’25 salary ($2.7MM) is guaranteed.
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (Rams). One year, $3.18MM. Previously reported as including $4.5MM in base value, the Rams’ Garoppolo contract (via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe) contains $3.18MM in base pay.
Ben Bredeson, G (Buccaneers). One year, $3MM. Bredeson’s Bucs pact includes $1.75MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets.
DeVante Parker, WR (Eagles). One year, $1.21MM. The Patriots are paying most of Parker’s deal, with $3.19MM guaranteed remaining on his 2023 extension. The Eagles are not guaranteeing the former first-rounder anything, Volin tweets. The Pats will receive a $1.98MM cap credit if Parker plays the whole 2024 season.

Rams Sign QB Jimmy Garoppolo

March 20th, 2024 at 8:55am CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 20: The Rams are giving Garoppolo a one-year deal that includes a $4.5MM base value, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Incentives can move the value of this contract to $12MM, but that will likely depend on whether a Stafford injury gives Garoppolo an opportunity to make starts.

MARCH 15: Jimmy Garoppolo‘s free agency will not last long. Despite receiving a two-game PED suspension, the former 49ers and Raiders starter will land in a popular spot.

The Rams are signing the veteran to back up Matthew Stafford, per the NFL Network’s Peter Schrager and Mike Garafolo. Garoppolo closed last season as a backup but has extensive experience as a starter. Coming from the Kyle Shanahan offense will certainly help Garoppolo here as well. The 32-year-old passer agreed to a one-year deal.

By mid-September of the past six seasons, Garoppolo has been viewed as a starter. He signed a three-year, $72.75MM deal to rejoin Josh McDaniels, but the 10-year QB’s stock has nosedived since. Missing two games due to injury early in the season, Garoppolo wound up on the bench once the Raiders fired McDaniels. He served as Aidan O’Connell‘s backup during the season’s second half but incurred the PED ban early this offseason, giving the Raiders a way to avoid paying out the QB’s 2024 guarantees. Garoppolo became a post-June 1 cut earlier this week.

Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay use schemes derived from the Mike Shanahan-Gary Kubiak system, as both were on Mike Shanahan’s Washington staff in the 2010s. Tweaks have naturally occurred, but this stands to be an easier transition compared to Garoppolo landing in an entirely new offense. He appears all set to replace Carson Wentz as Stafford’s caddy.

The Rams turned to Wentz after a rough Brett Rypien start in Green Bay. Stafford missed much of the 2022 season due to injury but was only down for one game last year — a bounce-back slate for the cannon-armed starter. Wentz, who remained in free agency until November last year, is back on the market.

Garoppolo’s return to McDaniels’ system did not go well; he managed nine interceptions in six starts as Davante Adams fumed. Garoppolo was certainly much better under Shanahan, averaging 8.3 yards per attempt and guiding the team to two NFC championship games and Super Bowl LIV. QBR placed Garoppolo 16th in 2022 — prior to his broken foot introducing the NFL to Brock Purdy — and slotted him in 13th and 12th, respectively, in 2021 and 2019.

This will still be an interesting switch for Garoppolo, who faced the Rams many times as the 49ers’ starter. Garoppolo went 8-0 against Los Angeles in the regular season, but McVay’s team reversed the trend in the ’21 NFC decider.

After using John Wolford as his primary backup for four years, McVay provided an interesting chapter in Baker Mayfield‘s career. The five-game Rams cameo helped the former No. 1 pick finish the 2022 season on a better note, and McVay also went the veteran route with Wentz. This pattern will continue with Garoppolo, who played effectively when Trey Lance went down early in the ’22 season. Given Stafford’s run of injuries — maladies he has largely played through — Garoppolo will play an important role in L.A.

Rams QB Jimmy Garoppolo Discusses Two-Game Suspension

March 19th, 2024 at 8:26pm CST by Ben Levine

Jimmy Garoppolo is set to be the backup to Matthew Stafford next season, but the recent Rams acquisition won’t immediately start the season as the QB2. Garoppolo drew a two-game ban from the NFL for violating the league’s PED policy, keeping him off the active roster until Week 3.

The veteran officially inked his deal with the Rams today and met with reporters, where he admitted that he “messed up” the NFL’s Therapeutic Use Exemption policy. As Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic writes, the NFL allows players to get an exemption for banned substances, something Garoppolo apparently failed to do.

“That was … I hate to joke about it, but I just messed up the T.U.E. when I first got to Las Vegas,” the quarterback said (via Rodrigue). “… Bad timing, I guess.”

Garoppolo was released by the Raiders last week following a disappointing 2023 campaign. The veteran inked a three-year deal with the organization last offseason but was benched after tossing nine interceptions in six starts. While the 32-year-old won’t be in a position to start, he’s surely counting on better results in Los Angeles if he is pushed into the starting lineup.

Garoppolo had plenty of success playing under Kyle Shanahan, and the 49ers head coach joins Rams head coach Sean McVay in using offensive schemes derived from the Mike Shanahan-Gary Kubiak system. As Rodrigue points out, Garoppolo also has experience playing under Rams tight ends coach/pass game coordinator Nick Caley and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur during his stints in New England and San Francisco.

The free agent acquisition understands the QB hierarchy in Los Angeles and isn’t expecting to be anything more than injury insurance, even when considering his familiarity with the offense. Instead, Garoppolo is looking forward to playing his role and returning to the field as soon as possible.

“I’m excited to start this new journey,” he said (via Rodrigue). “I don’t exactly know what is in store for me, ‘re-set,’ ‘re-invent,’ whatever you want to call it. I’m just excited to get back on the football field and start slinging it around with some new guys. I love football.”

Raiders Release WR Hunter Renfrow

March 14th, 2024 at 8:34am CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 14: As expected, the Garoppolo release will be classified as a post-June 1 cut. The Raiders will pick up $24MM in cap space (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur) as a result, though the money will not be available for nearly three months, and the designation will spread out the dead cap stemming from the 2023 signing over two offseasons.

MARCH 13: The Raiders’ Jimmy Garoppolo release will come to pass today, but the Silver and Black are also moving on from another offensive cog who has not lived up to his contract. They are set to release Hunter Renfrow, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. The team has since made the Renfrow and Garoppolo releases official as well.

Given a two-year, $32MM deal during the 2022 offseason, Renfrow strangely fell out of favor while on that contract. Trade efforts last year producing no deal will lead to the veteran slot receiver becoming a street free agent today. Renfrow was set to earn an $11.2MM base salary next season.

Although the Raiders did not get much out of the Clemson alum following his 1,000-yard season — which played a central role in their Rich Bisaccia-overseen playoff berth — they will save more than $8MM with this release. Since his 1,038-yard 2021 slate, Renfrow has combined for just 585 yards over the past two seasons. This will go down as a notable mistake during the brief Josh McDaniels era, as Renfrow proved ill-fitting in the Raiders’ most recent offensive scheme despite McDaniels and Dave Ziegler signing off on the extension.

The Raiders shopped Renfrow at the 2023 deadline, doing so as Mark Davis became resigned to another staff overhaul. Prior to the McDaniels and Ziegler firings, they could not convince any team to take on Renfrow’s remaining base salary. Las Vegas did not want to eat any salary to move Renfrow last year. The team resumed its effort to trade the former Jon Gruden draftee this offseason, but nothing came to pass. Renfrow, 28, will join Tyler Boyd and Curtis Samuel among available slot receivers on the market.

Renfrow poses as an interesting candidate for a bounce-back deal, given his production under Gruden and down the stretch in 2021. The former fifth-round pick strung together back-to-back 600-plus-yard seasons in 2019 and ’20, becoming the Raiders’ top complement — as their Antonio Brown move combusted before the 2019 season — to Darren Waller in those years. With Waller sidelined for a chunk of the 2021 stretch run, Derek Carr turned to Renfrow as his top chain-mover. The Saints would profile as a potentially interested party, but Renfrow has not put much in the way of quality on tape over the past two seasons.

Jimmy Garoppolo Draws Two-Game Suspension; Raiders Expected To Cut QB

February 16th, 2024 at 11:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Expected to be released by the Raiders, Jimmy Garoppolo will not be able to suit up for his next team until Week 3 of the 2024 season. The veteran quarterback received a two-game suspension Friday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Garoppolo will be banned under the league’s PED policy, per Schefter, who indicates this penalty is believed to stem from the veteran quarterback using a prescription medication without a therapeutic use exemption. Garoppolo will not appeal the ban.

During what turned out to be Josh McDaniels‘ final offseason running the show, the Raiders gave Garoppolo a three-year, $72.75MM contract hours into the legal tampering period. This came after a foot fracture ended Garoppolo’s 49ers career. More injury trouble emerged for the ex-Patriots draftee in Las Vegas, but the Raiders benched their starter immediately after firing McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler. Garoppolo spent the second half of the season backing up Aidan O’Connell. That setup always pointed to a release; Friday’s suspension will ensure Garoppolo will be a Vegas one-and-done.

The suspension stands to help the Raiders, who will be eyeing other QB options this offseason. Garoppolo is due an $11.25MM guarantee, which covers his 2024 base salary. This ban will reduce the dead money that would come the Raiders’ way in the event of release. Cutting Garoppolo will now only cost the Raiders $17.1MM, as opposed to $28.4MM, according to OverTheCap. That will help the Antonio Pierce-Tom Telesco regime as it determines its 2024 QB path. The suspension will void the guarantee, per CBS Sports’ Joel Corry, who notes Garoppolo’s contract includes language indicating a PED ban would trigger a void.

This continues a downward trend for Garoppolo, who was at the controls for the start of what turned out to be a seminal 49ers win streak during the 2022 season. A December 2022 Jones fracture ended Garoppolo’s season, introducing Brock Purdy to the NFL world. The 49ers did not make an attempt to re-sign Garoppolo, despite the team reaching a resolution to retain him as Trey Lance insurance just before the ’22 season. Garoppolo still commanded a decent market in 2023, fetching $33.75MM guaranteed from the Raiders. Part of that guarantee will not come his way.

Garoppolo, 32, started six games for the Raiders last season. Given a less QB-friendly setup in Las Vegas compared to the one he enjoyed under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, Garoppolo struggled. He finished his six-game run with nine INTs compared to seven TD passes. The Raiders, who had included an injury waiver in Garoppolo’s deal in case he did not heal properly from offseason foot surgery, parked the 10th-year passer on the bench after a dismal Monday-night showing in Detroit — one that preceded the firings of McDaniels, Ziegler and OC Mick Lombardi. With Pierce and Bo Hardegree in charge, Garoppolo was no longer part of the plan.

Although Garoppolo was coming off a benching that was set to cut into his 2024 market, a few teams are in need of at least a bridge option at QB this offseason. This suspension will further reduce Garoppolo’s negotiating leverage. While Garoppolo joins Russell Wilson as experienced starters expected to be cut by an AFC West team, the former’s injury history and newly discovered unavailability will hurt the former Super Bowl starter as a street free agent. A team wanting a bridge QB would ideally need that passer to be available to start the season, potentially as a rookie develops.

The 2023 Raiders agreement showed other teams pursued Garoppolo, who has made 63 career starts. Of course, he has also missed 32 starts due to injury over the course of his career. This suspension stands to help the markets of some stopgap-type passers on this year’s market. Beyond top UFA QBs Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins, a glut of midlevel vets — from Ryan Tannehill to Jacoby Brissett to Gardner Minshew to Sam Darnold — loom as options for teams unable to land the top two signal-callers. Justin Fields also likely will be an option via trade. Considering the Raiders’ Luke Getsy hire, they should at least be viewed as a possible destination for the three-year Bears starter.

Pierce’s past with Heisman winner Jayden Daniels has already come up this offseason, with the former Arizona State recruit’s name being mentioned during the Raiders’ OC search. It would likely take a big haul for the Raiders to move up from No. 13 into Daniels territory, however. O’Connell still resides as a possible Week 1 starter for Las Vegas, but once Garoppolo is cut, the now-Telesco-led team may also seek a veteran — should it determine a trade-up for a prized rookie too pricey — to compete with the 2023 fourth-round pick for the 2024 gig.

AFC West Notes: Raiders, Staley, Broncos

November 10th, 2023 at 1:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh McDaniels‘ leadership style became a lightning rod in Denver, helping lead to the successful New England OC’s second-season firing. Although ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes McDaniels’ Raiders situation did not feature a personality conflict on that level, a number of issues arose near the end of his 25-game Las Vegas tenure. While McDaniels’ style this time around was viewed as a bit more empathetic, Graziano colleague Jeremy Fowler notes the same traits that keyed the early wrap in Denver — people skills and a flawed culture — resurfaced in Nevada. This Patriot Way model led to quickly eroded trust, with the quarterback situation being the main part of McDaniels’ plan not resonating with players.

The team’s move from Derek Carr to Jimmy Garoppolo produced warning signs, but the McDaniels- and Dave Ziegler-handpicked veteran’s immobility and erratic play (NFL-high nine interceptions, despite two missed starts) led to some in the Raiders’ building believing Aidan O’Connell should have replaced the veteran starter earlier than he did, Fowler adds. Had the Raiders turned one of their several visits with early-round draft prospects into a selection, perhaps McDaniels would have been given more time to groom that player. With the team waiting until the final pick of the fourth round to take its quarterback, it is quite possible the team’s passer of the future is not on the roster. This being the case certainly interfered with McDaniels displaying his vision to the team.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

In what should not be especially surprising, Fowler adds some around the league believe Brandon Staley will need a winning effort to stave off a post-season three firing. Some viewed Staley as a candidate to be dropped after the Chargers‘ 27-point collapse in last year’s wild-card round, which came after Mike Williams suffered an injury in a meaningless Week 18 game. But GM Tom Telesco backed his HC for a third season. Again without Williams, the Bolts are 4-4. After Sean Payton was repeatedly connected to this job in 2022, the Bolts would obviously need to look elsewhere to replace Staley — if they choose to take that route — next year.
Last week’s USC-Washington game naturally attracted NFL personnel, but ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel notes both Broncos GM George Paton and Giants GM Joe Schoen were on-hand in a game that featured likely 2024 quarterback draftees Caleb Williams and Michael Penix. Both the Broncos and Giants would have complex paths to adding another QB. Denver could draft one with or without Russell Wilson on the roster, with a rookie salary perhaps complementing the starter’s hefty contract or hitting the Broncos’ cap sheet after they absorb a record-shattering $85MM in dead money (over two years, in the event of a post-June 1 cut). Regardless of how the Broncos fare in the season’s second half, Wilson’s status will be their top storyline.
The Broncos recently promoted Ben Niemann to their 53-man roster, and 9News’ Mike Klis notes the team did so to prevent another club from poaching him off the practice squad. Niemann, who could have conceivably loomed as a Chiefs roster replacement for the injured Nick Bolton, has 80 games under his belt. He added to that total earlier this year, against the Bears. The former Chiefs and Cardinals starter caught on with the Broncos after the Titans cut him in August.
Raiders free agency addition Robert Spillane recently underwent hand surgery, per interim HC Antonio Pierce (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur), but it did not keep him off the field. After breaking his hand against the Lions in Week 8, the fifth-year linebacker underwent a procedure a day later but played every snap against the Giants. Largely a part-timer in Pittsburgh, Spillane — attached to a two-year, $7MM deal — has logged 98% of Las Vegas’ defensive snaps this season.

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