The LA Chargers have one of the best quarterbacks in the entire league in Justin Herbert. Overall, even with Russell Wilson taking a step back in 2022, the AFC West had the best quarterbacks top to bottom in the entire league.
So what did the Las Vegas Raiders do? They let their best quarterback of the last several decades walk away for free. Derek Carr is now a member of the New Orleans Saints and while he is not great, it is going to be hard for the Raiders to find someone who is actually better than Carr.
Vegas may end up drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft but that quarterback may not even end up starting. According to recent intel from ESPN's Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders might be considering a mediocre stop-gap starter that is worse version of Carr.
"The Texans and/or Raiders look to sign Jimmy Garoppolo. That could affect the top of the draft if one of those teams decides not to pursue a rookie quarterback, unless Garoppolo is a bridge."
Raiders signing Jimmy Garoppolo would be comical for Chargers fans.
So the Raiders may end up moving on from Derek Carr just so they could sign someone who is a worse version of Carr in Jimmy Garoppolo? No disrespect to Jimmy G but c'mon, nobody is actually getting excited about him being the starting quarterback next season.
He is not awful and is good enough to be a game manager but so is Carr. If you were to put Carr in those Kyle Shanahan offenses then he would have been even better. This is the guy that got outplayed by Mr. Irrelevant, after all.
Jimmy G went 19-28 for 240 yards with no touchdowns when the Chargers played the 49ers in 2022. If that is what the Raiders want then go ahead. That is not going to win them football games in the AFC West in 2023.
But then again, what are the other options? Tom Brady is retired, Aaron Rodgers looks like he is going to be a Jet and the quarterback prospects available to the team are all going to be raw. It is going to be a nightmare regardless for Vegas next season, so might as well get Jimmy G, right?
The funniest scenario is the Raiders losing a bidding war for Jimmy G and having to pivot to someone like Baker Mayfield. Now if that happens it will be true comedy gold for Chargers fans.