06 March 2024 , 04:00
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Jimmy Garoppolo, the 32 year old quarterback, is weighing up his next move in NFL after the Las Vegas Raiders made the decision to release him.
It comes after his recent suspension for breaking the NFL's rules about Performance Enhancing Substances. Garoppolo was suspended for two games next season because he used a prescribed drug without getting the right permission from the league.
The Raiders' decision to let go of the quarterback is expected to save them £8.8million. This is because his doping violation means they don't have to pay his guaranteed salary for 2024. Garoppolo first signed a three-year contract worth £57million with the team in March 2023. This was when Josh McDaniels was head coach before Antonio Pierce took over.
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Garoppolo, who used to play for the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots, threw for 1,205 yards, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions in seven games. He won four of these games and helped Las Vegas finish second in the AFC West with a record of 8-9 in 2023.
Aidan O'Connell filled in for the injured Garoppolo. Now that Garoppolo is a free agent and several NFL teams need an experienced player for 2024, Daily Mirror Sport US looks at three possible places where Garoppolo could end up.
New England Patriots
Could Garoppolo be heading back to the Patriots in 2024?
The team, who said goodbye to the legendary Bill Belichick after the 2023 season and brought in Jerod Mayo - a former teammate of Garoppolo - are having a bit of a problem with their quarterbacks. Neither Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe seem to be the answer they need.
The Patriots might choose to trade their high 2024 draft pick for lots of other picks and bring in Garoppolo to help out. But we don't know if they're willing to miss out on Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels yet, or have ambitions to pair a talent with a veteran like Jimmy G.
A number of teams need a veteran quarterback (Getty)Denver Broncos
Could Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos swap one experienced quarterback for another?
Denver will say goodbye to Russell Wilson before the new season starts and might try to get Garoppolo if they can't draft the quarterback they really want next month. J.J. McCarthy from the Michigan Wolverines has been linked with the Broncos, who have the 12th overall pick - a tough position if they want one of the brightest young stars in Williams, Maye and Daniels.
A great performance at the NFL Combine have increased his standing as a potential top 10 pick.
Atlanta Falcons
New Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has confessed that if it wasn't for the poor performance of quarterbacks under his predecessor Arthur Smith, he might not have had the opportunity to lead the NFL team into the 2024 season.
Last year, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke were the quarterbacks who played as Atlanta had another disappointing season with just seven wins and ten losses under Smith.
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The Falcons have been linked with Chicago's Justin Fields who may be traded away from the Bears who own the first overall pick which looks likely to be Williams at the moment.
If Atlanta miss out on Fields, they could consider Garoppolo as a short-term solution. Their plans for their eighth-overall NFL Draft pick could also influence their quarterback decisions, they are within striking distance to potentially move up for Williams, Maye or Daniels.
Garoppolo may have to wait to see how the Draft plays out before he knows whats next.