Jimmy Garoppolo will be the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders next season but that wasn’t always the plan. The team has exhausted a number of options to replace Derek Carr and Garoppolo doesn’t appear to have been at the top of the list. Tom Brady was the obvious pick before he retired.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was the best quarterback available and there were a number of Raiders players recruiting him to Las Vegas, including star wide receiver Davante Adams. On the March 15 edition of “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers revealed that he’s planning on playing for the New York Jets next season.
However, the Jets weren’t the only team he was willing to play for. During his appearance on the show, Rodgers hinted that there was one player that he has an “affinity” for that he was interested in reuniting with. McAfee was quick to name Adams as the player he was talking about. Rodgers neither confirmed nor denied.
While he refused to confirm he was talking about Adams, it’s hard to imagine he’s talking about anybody else. The two had a legendary connection when they were both with the Packers and have spoken fondly of each other since Adams was traded.
Were Raiders Interested in Rodgers?
Rodgers is 39 and coming off his worst season in years but he’s just a year removed from being named the MVP of the NFL. Despite his age, he’s still a more reliable player than Garoppolo when it comes to his ability to stay healthy. It remains to be seen what the Jets are going to give up to get Rodgers but it might be a steep price.
According to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, the Raiders did reach out to the Packers about a Rodgers trade. The two sides could not come to an agreement.
It’s not a surprise the Raiders reached out. Adams has gone on record saying he’d love for the quarterback to come to Las Vegas. The team may have alienated Adams if they didn’t even look into a trade. The Raiders weren’t in a position to give up too much draft capital to add a 39-year-old quarterback but could’ve made a run at him if the asking price was low. The Packers appear to want a respectable package and the Jets are much more likely to give it to them.
Drafting a QB Still in Play for Raiders
Garoppolo is a capable starter who knows Josh McDaniels‘ system well. The team should be able to win some games with him under center. That said, he is not a long-term option as the team’s starting quarterback. He gets injured far too often to rely on him. The Raiders will likely draft a quarterback at some point in the upcoming draft. The biggest question is when they might select one.
Howe reported that the Raiders were interested in trading with the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 pick before they traded the pick to the Carolina Panthers.
This report indicates that there is at least one quarterback the Raiders really like. If it’s not the quarterback the Panthers end up selecting or Las Vegas had multiple quarterbacks they’d like, it’s possible they still try to trade up a few picks. The Garoppolo signing does not rule out the Raiders from drafting a quarterback.