Jimmy Garoppolo’s time in Las Vegas is coming to an end.
The Raiders are expected to release the veteran quarterback Wednesday, according to The Athletic, which also reported they plan to release wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.
Two days prior, the Raiders agreed to terms with veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew on a two-year, $25 million free agent contract with $15 million guaranteed.
The Raiders reportedly will explore their options at the quarterback position in the 2024 NFL Draft, which will take place from April 25-27 in Detroit.
The news came a year after Las Vegas signed Garoppolo to a blockbuster three-year $72.75 million deal, with $34 million guaranteed, to reunite with former Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels — who was the offensive coordinator in New England during Garoppolo’s Patriots tenure from 2014-17.
The Raiders will free up $11.269 million in cap space and take a dead money hit of $17.068 million when they cut Garoppolo, per The Athletic.
Multiple teams reportedly are interested in signing 32-year-old Garoppolo, even with a looming two-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
The Raiders’ previous plan — to move on from former quarterback Derek Carr and ex-disgraced coach Jon Gruden — officially failed when they fired McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler in November 2023, and Garoppolo was benched for rookie Aidan O’Connell at the end of the season.
Garoppolo was leading the league in interceptions at the time (Week 9).
Minshew, 27, will compete with 25-year-old O’Connell — a fourth-round pick by the Raiders in the 2023 draft — for the starting job in Las Vegas, according to ESPN.
Minshew had a productive 2023 season, starting 13 games in place of injured starter Anthony Richardson and helping the Colts make a late playoff push.
He threw for 15 touchdowns and a career-high 3,305 yards, and was named an AFC Pro Bowl alternate.
The Raiders’ quarterback room also includes Anthony Brown, who’s on a non-guaranteed reserve/future contract.
Garoppolo threw seven touchdowns against nine interceptions in his six starts last season — and completed 110-of-168 passes for 1,205 passing yards before he was benched.
He missed a Week 4 loss to the Chargers with a concussion and a Week 7 loss against the Bears with a back injury.
A second-round pick by the Patriots in 2014, Garoppolo was traded to the 49ers in October 2017 and led San Francisco to three NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl.
