The Las Vegas Raiders will be without their starting quarterback this weekend. CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones confirmed reports that Jimmy Garoppolo has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears due to the back injury he sustained last week.
Garoppolo was taken to the hospital after suffering the injury late in the second quarter against the New England Patriots, but head coach Josh McDaniels said earlier this week that the quarterback had “dodged a big bullet” with the injury. McDaniels did indicate that Garoppolo’s status for Week 7 was uncertain, but said that “the prognosis is a lot better than it otherwise might have been.”
Still, it now appears that Garoppolo will miss his second start of the season. He previously missed the team’s Week 4 loss against the division rival Los Angeles Chargers due to a concussion. Rookie Aidan O’Connell filled in for Garoppolo in that game, completing 24 of 39 passes for 238 yards and an interception.
O’Connell has been inactive for the other five games this season, with veteran Brian Hoyer serving as Garoppolo’s backup. Hoyer stepped in for Garoppolo last week against New England and went 6 of 10 for 102 yards. It has not yet been reported which of the two players will start against Chicago.
Garoppolo missed much of the summer and some of training camp with a foot injury that required surgery earlier in the year, but nonetheless began the season as Las Vegas’ unquestioned starter. He’s completed 68% of his passes at an average of 7.3 yards per attempt, but has thrown seven touchdown passes against a league-high eight interceptions to date.
