Las Vegas Raiders have a unique incentive not to rush Jimmy Garoppolo’s return from injury
Sportsnaut
While Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is likely to be in action next weekend, the organization reportedly has a beneficial reason not to rush his return from injury.
Heading into NFL Week 7, the Las Vegas Raiders are looking to extend their winning streak to three in a 1 PM ET matchup with the Chicago Bears. However, they will be attempting to gain their fourth victory of the season without starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
The 31-year-old is battling a back injury that should open the door to rookie Aidan O’Connell getting the second start of his NFL career on Sunday. However, yesterday ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the QB’s stay on the sideline will probably only last a week.
Las Vegas Raiders save $90,000 for every game Jimmy Garoppolo misses
Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
Yet, on Sunday Schefter revealed that the organization actually has a monetary reason to not rush him back if he has not fully recovered from his latest injury.
“Raiders’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo has a $90,000 per-game-active-roster bonus that he misses out on for each game that he doesn’t play,” Schefter wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Garoppolo now has missed out on $180,000 in roster bonuses the past two weeks, but he’s expected to start making it back next Monday night.”
Considering his long history of dealing with injuries and missing games, it was smart that the Raiders added this stipulation into the deal he signed with the team in the spring.
Furthermore, since he has gotten off to a rough start in 2023 and is one of the league leaders in interceptions, it wouldn’t be shocking if the organization holds him out until he is 100% and saves more money next week. Especially if O’Connell has a strong showing in NFL Week 7.