Garoppolo played every offensive snap in Las Vegas’ Week 3 loss to Pittsburgh and didn’t exhibit concussion symptoms until after the game, prompting the Raiders to evaluate him for a concussion and landing him in the protocol.
Garoppolo faced frequent pressure from Pittsburgh’s defense in the loss, being sacked four times and pressured on 13 of his 44 pass attempts, per Next Gen Stats. He completed 28 of 44 attempts for 324 yards and two touchdowns but threw three interceptions in the defeat.
In order to play versus the AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers, Garoppolo will have to clear protocol prior to Sunday’s game. If he cannot go, McDaniels faces a choice between veteran Brian Hoyer and rookie Aidan O’Connell. So far, he’s committed to neither, opting to take a wait-and-see approach.
“The two guys that haven’t played yet have done a tremendous amount of preparation for the first three games, and that won’t change this week,” McDaniels said. “We’re just gonna go through the week and see where it all lies.”