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The Raiders Season May Be Over Before It Even Begins - QB Jimmy Garoppolo Reportedly Could Be Released If He Fails Another Physical

Ethan Miller. Getty Images.

The Raiders signed oft-injured Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the off-season coming off a broken right foot that cost him the final five games of the regular season and entire playoff run for the San Francisco 49ers. Garoppolo is no stranger to injuries having missed 41 regular season games in his six seasons in the Bay. He's finished an astonishing four of those seasons on injured reserve and has the rightfully earned reputation as one of the most injured Quarterbacks in the league.

Which is why it came as such a shock that not only did Las Vegas sign Garoppolo, but that they were never an active team in the NFL Draft for one despite having the 7th overall pick. Ironically, they did take another player that is dealing with a right foot injury in Texas Tech EDGE Tyree Wilson. But having signed Jimmy G to a 3-year $67.5 million dollar deal, that could all be a bust now.

Language was discovered by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that could put this deal in jeopardy.

"As originally negotiated, Garoppolo had an $11.25 million signing bonus and a base salary of $11.25 million for 2023. The foot injury resulted in the Raiders removing the signing bonus, with the full $22.5 million becoming base salary in 2023.

He won’t get any of it until he passes a physical. In the interim, the Raiders can cut him “for any reason related” to Addendum G." - Pro Football Talk

This is all because of a failed physical at the time of the signing and language surfacing that if Jimmy G does not pass a physical before the season starts, the Raiders could get out of his new deal with no penalties. Wow! With my family moving to Chicago, I'm having to pay penalties for daycare and karate my kid does because we didn't give enough notice, but the Raiders just get to skate scot-free of a $67 million dollar deal with a guy they signed 2.5 months ago? Why? Because the most injured Quarterback they signed to play for them is…injured again?

This would be wild if they did this in a division already with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Russell Wilson. They're already low man on the totem pole with Jimmy G at the helm, don't make it worse!

Now do I really think they'll cut him? I'd be very surprised if that was the case, but the fact that it's even a possibility they thought to bake into the contract means that it definitely isn't out of the realm of possibilities as they clearly thought about it prior to the deal being signed.