LAS VEGAS — Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo plans to sign a three-year, $67.5 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, according to ESPN's Dianna Russini and Adam Schefter.
Garoppolo will be reunited with Raiders coach Josh McDaniels, who was the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots for three years while Garoppolo was there as a backup to Tom Brady.
Locked on NFL podcast co-hosts Luke Braun and Lorin Cox discussed this reported signing, believing a three-year deal for Garoppolo indicates Las Vegas is not planning to draft a quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft.
"You don't take a quarterback the same year you commit to a guy for three years," Braun said. "They are committed to a guy....I just don't see them doing that."
The Raiders currently boast the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, a pick many felt they might use on one of the many available quarterbacks - including Will Levis or Anthony Richardson - depending if they fall out of the top five.
Now, however, the belief is that Garoppolo will be the guy at least for the short term - giving the team a similar quarterback to Derek Carr who they released shortly after the season.
The Raiders certainly could still draft a quarterback, perhaps using a later round pick to find more of a project, but this signing does seem to take one team out of the running for the multiple QBs expected to go near the top of the first round in the 2023 NFL draft.