HENDERSON, Nev. — The first time Jimmy Garoppolo met Josh McDaniels? Garoppolo was on a pre-draft visit with the New England Patriots in the spring of 2014 and McDaniels, then the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, was directing the quarterback through his offense on the board.
“I don’t know if it was planned, but I swear he planned it: Tom Brady came in,” Garoppolo said, laughing, Friday. “And I thought it would throw me off a little bit because I’d never met him before, and I was kind of in awe. But yeah, he left and Josh went on to teach. That was our first interaction.”
The Garoppolo-McDaniels meeting, nine years later and in Las Vegas, was delayed a day due to last-minute contractual “language,” Garoppolo said in his 17-minute introductory news conference with the Raiders. On Monday, the two sides agreed in principle to a three-year, $67.5 million free agent contract that includes $34 million guaranteed.
Garoppolo, 31, replaces Derek Carr, who had been the Raiders’ starter since 2014, but was benched by McDaniels with two games remaining last season, in his first year as Raiders coach. Carr, who holds the most franchise pass records in his Raiders career, stayed away from the team to finish out the season and was released on February 14. Since then, he has signed with the New Orleans Saints.
With a 40-17 career regular season record, Garoppolo has thrown for 14,289 yards and 87 touchdowns with 42 interceptions while completing 67.6% of his attempts in 74 games. He has also played in seven playoff games, going 4-2 as a starter, including a Super Bowl LIV loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Still, with Garoppolo’s history of injuries, he missed his last five games with the San Francisco 49ers because of a Lisfranc injury to his left foot, and has only played one full season as a starter (missing 30 games in San Francisco with several ankles). , shoulder, thumb and knee): Speculation arose that there was a problem with his physical in Las Vegas. Sources indicated that this was not a problem.
Garoppolo said All-Pro receiver Davante Adams had already reached out, as had two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby as he met center Andre James at team facility.
Garoppolo will also meet with receiver Phillip Dorsett, who signed with the Raiders this week; the two were briefly teammates at New England.
“He’s a winner,” Dorsett said. “Wherever he’s been, he’s won games. I mean, I feel like that’s the most important stat for quarterbacks, just going out there and winning and making the right plays at the right time…his record speaks for itself. He’s a guy who plays the game the right way, he goes out there, he makes the right play, he makes a smart play, and he’s a winner and I love playing him.
“I was only with him a little bit in New England and he made quite an impression on me.”
Said Garoppolo: “I come in with the mindset that I need to win it all, I don’t want to be told ‘You’re the franchise guy’ or whatever. I want to go in and win it. I think it will come through hard work, working with teammates, being on the premises. All those little things will play a part. But yeah, I don’t want to be given anything, I want to earn it.
“Just because I’m the quarterback, I’m not the leader because of that. I want to be the leader because guys respect me and believe in me… I think it will happen naturally. I don’t want to force anything, not be authentic. I just want to be myself and it has done me good in the past.
Garoppolo, who added that he wanted to be “real and passionate,” said his familiarity with McDaniels and his scheme was a big draw, even though he last played six years ago. He spent the past six seasons with the 49ers after being acquired in a 2017 trade deadline deal.
As such, Garoppolo acknowledged that he will have to relearn the language of offense.
“Basically, like going from Spanish to French,” he said. “It won’t take long, but Josh’s offense has obviously evolved over the years and you just have to get it back as quickly as possible. But we’ll be fine.”
Garoppolo said he was warmly greeted by Las Vegas fans as he walked through the Mandalay Bay Casino with his family to dine at Stripsteak Thursday night.
“The place,” he said, “was going crazy.”
Asked if he still had something to prove in his career, Garoppolo nodded.
“Hell yeah,” he said. “I’m trying to win a Super Bowl. I know every player says that when they approach their first press conference, but that’s my goal: to get a ring, get Silver and Black back where they should be.
“I know it’s not an easy process. I’ve already been through it. In San Francisco, [the 49ers were] bottom end of the field when I first got there, [so] It’s a process. But it will be worth it.”