If Josh McDaniels isn’t concerned by Jimmy Garoppolo’s camp INTs, he should be

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels isn’t concerned with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo despite the fact he threw a concerning number of interceptions in two practices.

The Las Vegas Raiders opted to move on from Derek Carr before the 2022 season was even finished. So, Raiders fans were calling for the team to make sure the decision was worth it by bringing in the right quarterback. Unsurprisingly, the Raiders signed Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year, $72.75 million contract to reunite with former offensive coordinator and current head coach of the team, Josh McDaniels.

Garoppolo was recently cleared to participate in training camp after undergoing offseason foot surgery. In a recent two practice stretch, Garoppolo threw a concerning number of interceptions total — seven.

McDaniels was asked about the high number of picks, but the head coach isn’t worried, as he saw Garoppolo make some “really good throws.” That, and McDaniels cited that it was a competitive training camp for the Raiders.

Raiders Josh McDaniels unconcerned about Jimmy Garoppolo’s stretch of interceptions in training camp

McDaniels sees good throws from Garoppolo but sees the bright side of the defense being able to create takeaways. The real concern is if these interceptions were going on during a game, whether it’s the preseason or the regular season. But still, seven interceptions through two specific practices are pretty concerning.

The 2021 season was supposed to be Garoppolo’s last with the San Francisco 49ers. But after no trade interest from teams, the 49ers kept him on a restructured contract. The move did pay off, as Garoppolo became a starter once again after Trey Lance fractured his ankle in Week 2.

Through 11 games (10 starts), Garoppolo led the team to a 7-3 record, while throwing for 2,437 yards, 16 touchdowns, and four interceptions while completing 67.2 percent of his passes. However, Garoppolo would get sidelined with a broken foot suffered in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins. Hence the offseason surgery after signing with the Raiders.

Garoppolo was signed to be the team’s answer at the quarterback position, and he does have a tough job. He’s in an extremely competitive AFC, and a tough division featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers.