23 July 2023 , 19:10
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The Las Vegas Raiders and Jimmy Garoppolo can breathe a huge sigh of relief after the quarterback passed a physical and will take part in training camp alongside his teammates.
The former San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots QB underwent foot surgery in the off-season after he signed as a free agent with the Raiders, and had he failed to pass a physical before the start of the season, the franchise would have been left in a disastrous situation without a starting-quality quarterback on the roster.
Head coach Josh McDaniels insisted he had no "anxiety" over Garoppolo's fitness in June, but he certainly would have been desperate for good news ahead of Tuesday when veterans report for training camp at the team facility in Henderson, Nevada.
And, according to ESPN, Garoppolo passed his physical ahead of training camp and he should be able to take part immediately, with the Raiders not placing him on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
Garoppolo will be hugely relieved, too. The Raiders were aware of his foot issue before they signed him and his contract included a clause that his deal would have been void if he could not pass a physical.
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The 31-year-old signed a three-year, $72.75m (£56.5m) contract with the Raiders after being released by the 49ers. After failing an initial physical in March, the Raiders hastily reworked the terms of the deal, removing a $11.25m (£8.7m) signing bonus and converting it to base salary to reduce the financial risk if he was unable to take the field.
The uncertainty over Garoppolo's health led to speculation that Tom Brady could be lured out of retirement. With the seven-time Super Bowl champion agreeing to acquire a minority stake in the franchise, there was speculation he could decide to come back and help out.
Jimmy Garoppolo could have been cut due to a clause in his Raiders contract had he failed a physicall. (Getty)However, league rules requiring all owners to allow him to make a comeback would have made that practically impossible. Now Garoppolo is fit to play, there is no longer any need for Brady to decide to try and change that.
Instead, it will be Brady's former backup at the Patriots in Garoppolo who will be playing under center for the Raiders in 2023. Garoppolo picked up two Super Bowl rings without receiving a snap in the post-season for the Pats, but he proved his ability in San Francisco by steering the team to a 13-3 record in 2019.
The Niners went all the way to the Super Bowl and appeared on course to lift the Lombardi Trophy, only to be on the wrong side of a Patrick Mahomes-inspired comeback by the Kansas City Chiefs in Miami.
Garoppolo led the 49ers to two more winning seasons since, but he has been hindered by a series of injuries over the past five years, including a season-ending foot injury in Week 13. In his absence, Brock Purdy took his opportunity and led the team to the NFC Championship Game before suffering his own injury woes.
Nonetheless, Purdy's success and Garoppolo's track record for not being able to stay on the field spelt the end of his time in the Bay Area. With a clean bill of health, he will hope for better fortune in Las Vegas.