The Las Vegas Raiders may have signed Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency earlier this offseason, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll finish 2023 as their starter.
In March, the Raiders signed Garoppolo to a three-year deal worth $72.75 million. But as previously noted by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there’s a waiver in Garoppolo’s contract concerning his foot injury. Essentially, the clause would allow the Raiders to release Garoppolo without owing him any money.
If the Raiders decide to a) release Garoppolo or b) bring in extra insurance at quarterback, could an old rival team from the Bay Area be willing to help?
An NFL offensive coach spoke to Matt Lombardy of Heavy.com and suggested Raiders trade for San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Sam Darnold, who was brought in on a one-year deal in free agency:
“I’d trade for Sam Darnold today. They have big issues out there, because they don’t have money to make a big trade. Especially when you’re talking about a quarterback.”
Barring any surprises or injuries to Brock Purdy and Trey Lance, Darnold likely be the third-stringer on the 49ers’ depth chart. With Purdy (surgery on a torn UCL) and Lance (surgery on his right ankle fracture) coming back from serious injuries, the 49ers opted to bring in Darnold as a potential insurance option.
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But if both Purdy and Lance are cleared ahead of Week 1, the No. 3 selection of the 2018 NFL Draft suddenly becomes expendable. Darnold hasn’t lived up to expectations, but he does have 56 game appearances under his belt. That could be enough for a team like the Raiders to inquire about a potential trade for his services.
