Jimmy Garoppolo is ready for action in Week 8.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels led off Saturday’s news conference saying Garoppolo is “good to go” for Monday night’s road tilt against the Detroit Lions. The team later announced that Garoppolo carries no injury designation on the injury report.
“I think he’s got a little pep in his step,” McDaniels said of Garoppolo. “He’s much the same as everyone else is. He didn’t play last week, but he wants to get us headed in the right direction and start doing some things we haven’t been doing as well better. Good leadership, good energy at practice, good execution, working with everybody across the board and just really trying to put our focus where it needs to be and have good days, stack ’em this week and hopefully finish with a good one today in the red zone, some of our work down there in the scoring area.”
Garoppolo (back) hasn’t missed practice this week and enters Saturday’s session having been a full participant yesterday. His return ends a one-game absence due to a back injury he suffered in Week 6. The injury, which required an immediate hospital visit, was far less serious than initially feared but it did force Garoppolo to miss his second game of the 2023 season.
Brian Hoyer earned the start last week against the Chicago Bears, but the veteran backup continued Las Vegas’ offensive woes sans Garoppolo. In two games without Jimmy G, the Raiders offense has averaged 249.1 yards and 14.1 points per game, both of which losses.
While Garoppolo’s presence hasn’t exactly made Las Vegas an unstoppable force, the veteran QB brings stability to the offense. In five games played, Garoppolo has completed 68% of his passes (100-for-147) for 1,079 yards, seven touchdowns and a league-high eight interceptions while amassing a 3-2 record.
Garoppolo’s return on Monday night is timely for a Raiders (3-4) team that’s looking to stay afloat in the competitive AFC. The surging Lions (5-2) pose a threat to Las Vegas getting back to .500, but the offense eyes a midseason turning point with a clean bill of health.
