Jimmy Garoppolo finally graced the field as the Las Vegas Raiders‘ quarterback this past Saturday. It had been a long time since his final play with the San Francisco 49ers. Plus, who can forget the drama surrounding his contract signing? It wasn’t that long ago that some questioned whether he’d be good to go. Still, “Jimmy G” took the mantle of starting signal-caller in Week 2 of the preseason. Despite his limited showing, it begs the question: were you impressed?
Look, it’s preseason. Garoppolo wasn’t going to be playing much, if at all. The fact is, his injury history looms large, and it doesn’t make sense to risk your investment at this juncture. However, as we’ve seen from head coach Josh McDaniels this preseason, playing starters is something he’s doing—avoiding last year’s rusty start is crucial. As far as the numbers go, Garoppolo was perfect, which is really all you can ask for. He went four for four for 49 yards passing, leading a nine-play, 68-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown.
“Yeah, it’s all good. I just knocked some of the rust off and got into the game flow with some of the guys. It’s little things like that right now that we’re trying to work on, and I thought the guys played well tonight,” said Garoppolo while speaking with the media after the game (h/t Vegas Sports Today).
Despite the relatively positive outcome of Garoppolo’s performance, you’d think Raiders fans were watching two different performances.
Raiders Fans React To Jimmy Garoppolo Playing In Week 2 (Preseason)
Lol everyone hating in the comment section. My dude just took the team downfield. No one is ever happy.
— Joseph Lopez (@JLOPEZOMG) August 20, 2023
IDK if you’re just a great Raiders fan or if you really know football from a player or coach perspective but he didn’t look great in that drive I just recall two passes that were less than ideal from your starting QB just my perspective as a High School football coach ??
— Chalky White 310 (@ChalyWhite310) August 20, 2023
Foot looks OK here. Nice drive by Jimmy G.
— One Sec Benny (@onesecbenny) August 20, 2023
Good play calling. Mixture of runs and passes. Despite the lack of talent points Jimmy has a winning record, stays calm in games, has all the experience and knows how to get it done. A very good bridge QB to start the year.
— Philip J. Fernandez (@JayP_CheckIt) August 20, 2023
Despite rookie Aidan O’Connell dominating headlines in preseason, QB1 belongs to Garoppolo. Even so, you can’t help but feel a little bit of history repeating itself—maybe just a little bit. Who’ll forget when a certain rookie from Fresno State beat out Matt Schaub for the honor of starting duties? Nostalgia aside, Garoppolo is a proven winner—it’s what he does; he makes the plays when you need him too, won’t turn the ball over, but more importantly, will put it in the hands of his playmakers.
*Top Photo: Associated Press