The Minnesota Vikings are close to finalizing a deal for Sam Darnold, a former third overall pick in the NFL Draft, which means Jimmy Garoppolo’s search for a new team is likely to continue.
Garoppolo, 32, was benched by the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2023 season and will serve a two-game suspension at the start of the 2024 season for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy. He is expected to be released by the Raiders before the fifth day of the new league year to avoid paying him an $11.25 million bonus. Although there were rumors that Garoppolo might join the Minnesota Vikings after Kirk Cousins moved to the Atlanta Falcons, the Vikings opted to sign Darnold instead. The Raiders have added Gardner Minshew to their quarterback lineup alongside Aidan O’Connell.
According to NFL Network, Darnold has agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with the Vikings after his contract with the San Francisco 49ers expired. Darnold, the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, is preparing to play for his fourth team as he enters his seventh NFL season. In 2023, he appeared in 10 games for the 49ers, including a start in the final regular season game against the Los Angeles Rams.
After trading Cousins to the Falcons, the Vikings are giving Darnold another opportunity to prove himself as a starter. Garoppolo, meanwhile, will have to wait to secure a similar chance and will miss the first two games of the next season wherever he signs. ESPN reported that Garoppolo was suspended for using a medication without an official Therapeutic Use Exemption approval. The Raiders had signed Garoppolo to a three-year, $72.75 million contract last year, with $33.75 million guaranteed. However, his time with the Raiders was marred by injuries and inconsistent performance; he only started six games last season, winning three of them, and completed 65.1% of his passes with an average of 7.1 yards per attempt, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Antonio Pierce, who became the Raiders’ head coach in January after serving as interim head coach since October 2023, emphasized the importance of finding a long-term solution at quarterback. He stated, “You don’t want to put a Band-Aid at that position. That’s old, man. I think the Raiders, we’ve seen that enough in this organization. You want the face of your franchise to be the quarterback, to be that guy you can count on for the next ten years.”
While Raiders fans may not be satisfied with the signing of former Jacksonville and Indianapolis quarterback Minshew as their franchise quarterback, Garoppolo will have to wait and see how free agency and draft picks unfold before finding a clear path forward. In January, Garoppolo described his 2023 season as “weird” and expressed his eagerness to return to the field, remaining open to various potential futures.
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