Jimmy Garoppolo’s Road to Recovery: What You Need to Know for the 2023 NFL Season
In the world of the NFL, injuries are an all-too-frequent reality. For Las Vegas Raiders’ new signing Jimmy Garoppolo, this truth is particularly poignant. On December 6, 2022, Garoppolo suffered a foot injury while facing off against the Miami Dolphins. Initially, fears arose that the star quarterback had sustained a Lisfranc fracture, but team doctors diagnosed it as a different fracture that didn’t necessitate immediate surgical repair, forecasting a two-month recovery timeline. However, following the end of the 2022 season, Garoppolo opted for surgery to fully address the foot injury.
The surgery, which took place in March 2023, coincided with his transition to the Las Vegas Raiders. He joined the team on a three-year contract, valued at $72.5 million, including $33.75 million in guarantees. Intriguingly, the contract holds a waiver that permits the Raiders to terminate the deal at no cost, should Garoppolo’s foot fail to heal appropriately.
This injury waiver got a lot of attention a few weeks back, but don’t look too much into it. The team has it in the contract as worst case scenario protection but they must not believe that the likelihood of having to use it is too high. They didn’t draft a QB and would be in an unbelievably bad situation if they had to part ways with Garappolo in training camp.
Raiders’ coach Josh McDaniels has projected confidence regarding Garoppolo’s recovery, expecting him to return for the commencement of the 2023 NFL season. Despite McDaniels’ optimism, apprehension has emerged among fans, primarily due to Garoppolo’s prior injury record. The star quarterback has missed 31 regular-season games and suffered three season-ending injuries since his trade to the San Francisco 49ers, raising questions about his durability.
While the team management and coaching staff maintain an upbeat outlook, fans and football enthusiasts wait with bated breath. Garoppolo’s performance post-recovery will be under intense scrutiny, given his injury history and the significant investment the Raiders have made in him.
