Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo Expected to Be Ready for Week 8 vs. Lions, per Report

The veteran quarterback could be on the verge of a return after missing his second game of the 2023 season.

As Jimmy Garoppolo remains sidelined by a lingering back injury, the latest update on the Raiders quarterback’s recovery suggests a quick return to the lineup could be on the horizon.

Las Vegas currently expects Garoppolo, who will not play in Week 7, to be ready to resume action in Week 8 against the Lions on Monday Night Football, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday. The news comes ahead of veteran QB Brian Hoyer’s first start for the club in the injured QB’s place for Sunday’s road game versus the Bears.

The Raiders’s optimistic outlook bodes well for Garoppolo’s chance of re-joining the team on the heels of his scary exit in Las Vegas’s Week 6 win over the Patriots. 

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to be ready for Week 8 against the Detroit Lions / Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

After initially being listed as doubtful, the 31-year-old left the stadium in an ambulance due to a back injury he sustained in the first half. Despite the initially grim circumstances, however, Raiders coach Josh McDaniels offered an encouraging update on the 10-year vet’s health on Monday.

“Seems like we dodged a big bullet,” McDaniels told reporters. “Still doing a couple things this morning. The prognosis was a lot better than it might have otherwise been … good news.”

Although it remains to be seen how things unfold, Garoppolo, after missing his second game of the season, appears headed in the right direction to be back in the lineup in time for a dramatic MNF return in a pivotal matchup versus the formidable Lions (5–1).