Report: Christian McCaffrey will be freed before the deadline in mid-March, with two games suspended in 2024.
The quarterback for the soon-to-be-former Las Vegas Raiders and former San Francisco 49ers had an incredible Friday. Initially, rumors circulated that he might receive a two-game suspension in 2024. The cause? The NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Adam Schefter claims that although he had a prescription for the drug, the league knew he had it and approved its use, but he lacked a legitimate Therapeutic Use Exemption. Nothing about the substance/medication has been made public.
Alright, that’s regrettable and unexpected. But as noted above, “soon-to-be” former quarterback for the Raiders. Another piece of information leaked after the ban was announced: the Raiders intend to cut Garoppolo before the league deadline in mid-March, which is when his contract is guaranteed.
That’s not shocking at all, considering the Raiders were already trending in that way during the season. If you won’t play Garoppolo, there’s no need to give him that kind of money. This was Jimmy Garoppolo’s first season without Kyle Shanahan, and he had a poor season. It didn’t exactly blow everyone away that he was reunited with Josh McDaniels, his offensive coordinator from the New England Patriots. By the time McDaniels was fired, Garoppolo had led the league in interceptions despite missing two games. Following McDaniels’ dismissal, Garoppolo was benched.
This year, nothing could save Garoppolo. For the first 45 minutes, he appeared to be at most passable. Other than the smile of his, nothing seemed too hot from there. However, during the first eight weeks of the season, Jimmy G’s smile may have been the only thing going for the Raiders, until interim head coach Antonio Pierce proved to them that it’s enjoyable to win games like an NCAA college basketball team. Pierce was going to be the Raiders’ new coach once the offseason started.
What will happen to Garoppolo next? Perhaps his days of market-setting contracts are coming to an end. It’s possible that he will find a starting position, but it will likely be as a mentor for a rookie quarterback. That isn’t as profitable.
