Although positive news has largely emerged after Jimmy Garoppolo’s injury Sunday during the Las Vegas Raiders‘ 21-17 win over the New England Patriots, Wednesday’s update was not as great.
With Las Vegas set to play the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Garoppolo’s status for the game is still up in the air. We run through the latest on the Raiders’ quarterback below.
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Jimmy Garoppolo Injury Update
Garoppolo appeared to be in substantial pain during the first half of Sunday’s bout with the Patriots before his ailment was later described as a back injury. The veteran QB was later in visible pain on the sideline and did not play in the second half.
#Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo appeared to be in serious pain on the sideline before the 1st half.
Doesn’t look like he’ll return to this game.
pic.twitter.com/umb2pdTOla— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 15, 2023
He finished the contest 14 of 22 for 162 yards, one touchdown, and an interception in one half of play as the Raiders (3-3) took a 13-3 edge into halftime and held on down the stretch.
Garoppolo was eventually ruled out of the game and later taken to a local hospital for further evaluation out of fear of internal damage, but appeared to avoid any such damage, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed.
Las Vegas head coach Josh McDaniels described Garoppolo’s prognosis to reporters as “a lot better” than expected on Monday in terms of the back injury. However, he told reporters Wednesday that Garoppolo would not participate in the day’s practice, an obviously not great indicator for his availability on Sunday.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Garoppolo will not play against the Bears due to his back injury according to a source.
McDaniels declined to say Wednesday if backup quarterback Brian Hoyer or rookie Aidan O’Connell would be the starting QB in the event that Garoppolo is unable to go on Sunday.
Hoyer stepped in for Garoppolo in the second half on Sunday, completing six of his 10 pass attempts for 102 yards, along with running three times for -3 yards on the day. The veteran quarterback last started a game in 2022 when he was New England’s starter in a 26-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
O’Connell made one start this season in Las Vegas’ 27-24 Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers while Garoppolo was sidelined with a concussion. The 2023 fourth-round pick went 24 of 39 for 238 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception in the loss.
Either Hoyer or O’Connell could be asked to step in as the signal-caller if Garoppolo is unable to go in Sunday’s contest.
Potential Fantasy Fallout if Garoppolo Misses
With the news that Garoppolo will not practice today with his back injury, fantasy managers should expect to see O’Connell or Hoyer at QB for the Raiders in Week 7 against the Bears.
It seemed as though Jimmy G suiting up this week was a bit of a stretch to begin with after his hospital visit on Sunday to make sure everything was alright medically, but missing practice on Wednesday seems to cement that presumption.
MORE: Las Vegas Raiders Depth Chart 2023
If Garoppolo cannot play, Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and even Michael Mayer all take a slight tumble down the rankings. The two wide receivers will still be decent options for fantasy lineups due to how many options are on bye (or injured) at the position, but they certainly have a wide range of outcomes.
We’ll monitor the practice report throughout the rest of the week to provide additional clarity when it’s made clear who the starting QB will be for the Raiders.
— Analysis from PFN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Yates