Fifth Quarter has learned that Jimmy Garoppolo, the former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, plans to sign a three-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. The deal is worth $67.5 million, including $34 million guaranteed. This comes after Derek Carr’s release from the Raiders last month.
Garoppolo played under the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, during his tenure in New England, and the two will be reunited in Las Vegas. Garoppolo’s career-best season came in 2019, when he led the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV. However, his career has been hampered by injuries, which caused him to miss 30 games.
Jarrett Stidham, who replaced Carr as the starter for the final two games of last season, is expected to sign a two-year contract with the Denver Broncos to back up Russell Wilson. ESPN and multiple reports confirmed this news.
Las Vegas has also made moves to strengthen their defense, including signing safety Marcus Epps to a two-year, $12 million deal with about $8 million guaranteed. Epps played for the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles last season and recorded a team-high 1,058 defensive snaps. He had 94 tackles, six passes defensed, and a forced fumble in a career-high 17 starts. Epps should complement free safety Tre’von Moehrig as the last line of Las Vegas’ defense.
Additionally, the Raiders are bringing back cornerback Brandon Facyson, who played for Las Vegas in 2021 and spent last season in Indianapolis. Facyson started four of 16 games for the Colts and had six passes defensed.
Garoppolo played for the 49ers for the past five-plus seasons, leading them to five straight wins after his arrival in 2017. He earned a five-year, $137.5 million deal that made him the highest-paid player in the league at the time. In his time with the 49ers, Garoppolo threw for 13,599 yards and 82 touchdowns with 42 interceptions while completing 67.6% of his passes. He started in 63 games (including the playoffs), with a 44-19 record.
Last season, Garoppolo played on a reworked one-year deal that prevented the 49ers from using the franchise tag on him this offseason. When San Francisco starter Trey Lance suffered a broken right ankle in Week 2, Garoppolo reclaimed the starting job and was amid one of his best stretches of football before breaking his left foot on Dec. 4 against the Miami Dolphins.
The Raiders are hoping that Garoppolo will bring stability and success to their quarterback position, something that has been missing since Carr’s departure. With the signing of Epps and Facyson, Las Vegas has also addressed their need for improvement on defense.
It remains to be seen how Garoppolo will fare in Las Vegas, but fans of the Raiders are hopeful that his arrival will mark the start of a new era for the franchise.