3 Raiders who won't be back after being eliminated from playoff contention

1) The Jimmy Garoppolo experiment failed spectacularly for the Raiders

The Raiders replaced their franchise quarterback, Derek Carr, with Jimmy Garoppolo expecting to win this season. Garoppolo was never a superstar for the 49ers, but was good enough of a game manager to win them games. He did make a Super Bowl appearance after all. Garoppolo was set to reunite with Josh McDaniels, his former offensive coordinator from his Patriots days.

Unfortunately, things never clicked for Jimmy G in Las Vegas. He had solid weapons around him, but just didn't do enough to warrant keeping his starting job. He was benched after just six games as the team's starter. Sure, they were 3-3, but Garoppolo had thrown for just seven touchdowns and a whopping nine interceptions. He had a 35.3 QBR through those six games, which was nothing short of abysmal.

Throws like this one to wide open receivers were frustrating for fans to watch, and frustrating for Adams who has expressed his displeasure in the Raiders offense numerous times this season. He never looked comfortable, and the contract looks completely unsalvagable. Whether the Raiders trust Aiden O'Connell to be their long-term answer is unclear, but it's abundantly clear that they won't be going back to Garoppolo.

Releasing him this offseason won't help much with their cap space for next season, but it does help for 2025. Trading him is the ultimate dream, but it's hard to see any team wanting anything to do with a player who didn't look like a starting-caliber player. It's unfortunate it has to end so quickly, but it sure feels like Garoppolo has played his last game as a Raider.