Jimmy Garoppolo contract details: Why Raiders are signing 49ers QB and how he compares to Derek Carr

Abraham Smith

The Raiders entered the 2023 NFL offseason and were looking for a starting quarterback for the first time since the 2014 offseason.

It looks like they found one in Jimmy Garoppolo.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo first reported that Las Vegas is signing Garoppolo, a nine-year veteran. The new Raiders quarterback is handed a three-year contract and will be tasked with replacing Derek Carr after the longtime Raider was fired following the 2022 NFL season.

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Garoppolo, 31, was a worthwhile addition to the Raiders. Las Vegas only had one quarterback on its roster that entered the free hand — undrafted rookie Chase Garbers — and lost Jarrett Stidham to the Broncos in the free hand. They needed a proven, capable veteran in the position, and Garoppolo knows Josh McDaniels’ system and looks like at least a slight improvement over Carr.

At the bare minimum, Garoppolo can serve as a bridge starter for Las Vegas. However, his addition also won’t prevent the team from picking a quarterback with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, it protects the team from having to force a trade-up when quarterbacks are thrown off the board in the early stages of the event.

But how much will Garoppolo make from his new deal? Here’s a look at his contract with the Raiders and how his stats compare to the man he’s replacing.

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Jimmy Garoppolo contract details

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Garoppolo will play on a three years old Deal as part of his signing with the Raiders. The total value of the order is expected to be $67.5 millionbut there are bonuses that might be worth it $72.5 millionPer NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Thus, the average annual value (AAV) of Garoppolo’s transaction will be between $22.5 million and $24.1 million. That’s the 17th-highest AAV among quarterbacks, just behind the $25 million owed to Geno Smith and at least $8.5 million ahead of Jameis Winston in the AAV rankings.

Regarding guarantees, Garoppolo will give $34 million. That’s also good for the 17th-highest guaranteed salary among quarterbacks.

And ESPN’s Field Yates offered a bit more information on the exact structure of the deal.

Despite all of this, Garoppolo’s contract is something of a mid-range deal. That’s few in the NFL, but it’s fair compensation for Garoppolo. He will provide the Raiders with a capable starter, but the team will also have the latitude they need to add talent around him.

That will give Garoppolo a better chance of living up to expectations with the Raiders; and that will be especially important as he appears to be an upgrade over Carr.

Jimmy Garoppolo, Derek Carr

Jimmy Garoppolo stats vs. Derek Carr stats

Strangely, there are many similarities between Garoppolo and Carr. Both were second-round picks in the 2014 NFL Draft and have had solid play for a long time. When both are cold, they are prone to turnover and inaccuracy.

But when they’re hot, their teams usually do well.

So things might not be too different from what they’ve been for the Raiders lately. They will only hope that Garoppolo can prove a more stable game for them than Carr under McDaniels.

Garoppolo should be able to do that, having largely outplayed Carr in the 2022 NFL season.

Stat Jimmy Garoppolo Derek Carr
Record 7-3 6-9
Comp % 67.2 60.8
Past farms 2,437 3,522
TDs exist 16 24
INT’s 4 14
meters/attempt 7.9 7.0
passer rating 103 86.3
QBR 54.4 55.6
PFF class 22nd of 39 qualified passers-by 27th of 39 qualified passers-by

Certainly, Garoppolo was more efficient than Carr, who struggles with his close rate, turnover, and accuracy in general. That’s why Garoppolo was able to win one more than Carr despite five fewer starts.

Garoppolo’s winning ways have been a constant throughout his career. In doing so, he helped lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl 54 appearance and helped the team reach the NFC Championship game in 2022, despite entering the season as a backup quarterback.

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Carr hasn’t won as much as Garoppolo, but his numbers still stack up positively when comparing the former Raiders quarterback to his current one. That’s because he’s started more than twice as many games as Garoppolo.

Here’s a look at their overall career numbers.

Stat Jimmy Garoppolo Derek Carr
begins 57 142
Record 40-17 63-79
Comp % 67.6 60.8
Past farms 14,289 35,222
TDs exist 87 217
INT’s 42 99
meters/attempt 8.3 7.1
passer rating 99.6 91.8

So Carr outperformed Garoppolo overall during his career. Still, Garoppolo’s rate stats are more efficient than Carr’s, and his win ratio of 70.2 should prove a massive improvement over Carr’s mark of 44.4.

So it’s easy to see why McDaniels and the Raiders targeted him, especially when you add his familiarity with the system.

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