Raiders coach Josh McDaniels spoke about the matter earlier Thursday, confirming Garoppolo wouldn’t be on the field for practice that day because he hasn’t yet been cleared to participate.
“You won’t see him today,” McDaniels said. … “No, he’s going through his process just like we knew he would. Nothing has happened that would surprise us based on the information we had.”
The latter portion of McDaniels’ reply is both interesting and should be somewhat comforting to Raiders fans who might be worried their season is already in jeopardy.
It’s intriguing because McDaniels is plainly stating the Raiders knew Garoppolo would need further attention on his foot before signing him, yet proceeded anyway with a quarterback who has a well-documented history of injuries in his pro career, so much that his old 49ers team traded up to draft his envisioned replacement in 2021.
Oddly enough, McDaniels’ explanation should also assuage some concerns about Las Vegas’ immediate future with Garoppolo. It is only May, and with training camp still two months away, Garoppolo isn’t yet facing a deadline that might force him back into action too soon.
He might not end up on the field until then, anyway. If anything, Garoppolo’s past has proved the cautious approach is usually the right one.
“Could be,” McDaniels said when asked if Garoppolo may have to wait until July to return. “I’d say with all these guys, it’s about the same. When they’re ready, some of them may be ready before the spring is over. Some of them may not. Again, we’re always going to err at this time of the year on being smart. We don’t play a football game [for] three-and-a-half months. To try to rush them out there to get them out there in May, that’s a poor decision.”
Unfortunately, 2023 will begin as another season for which Garoppolo prepared by rehabbing. He did so in 2022 after shoulder surgery, then spent his camp on a separate field away from the 49ers, exiled to the shadows while awaiting his fate. Ultimately, the 49ers realized they needed him before yet another injury ended his season.
Las Vegas is aiming to prevent the same outcome from happening again. Their chances of success in 2023 depend on it.