In a surprising move, the Las Vegas Raiders are set to release veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, according to reports from The Athletic. Along with Garoppolo, wide receiver Hunter Renfrow will also be released by the team. These decisions come just two days after the Raiders signed veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract, with $15 million guaranteed.

The Raiders' upcoming plans at the quarterback position appear to involve exploring options in the 2024 NFL Draft, which is scheduled from April 25-27 in Detroit. This news comes exactly a year after Las Vegas initially brought Garoppolo on board with a lucrative three-year, $72.75 million deal, with $34 million guaranteed. The intention behind the signing was to reunite Garoppolo with former Raiders head coach, Josh McDaniels, who had previously been the offensive coordinator during Garoppolo's time with the New England Patriots from 2014 to 2017.

By parting ways with Garoppolo, the Raiders will free up a significant amount of cap space, approximately $11.269 million, while also incurring a dead money hit of $17.068 million. Despite a looming two-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, multiple teams are reportedly expressing interest in signing the 32-year-old quarterback.

The Raiders' prior plans to move on from former quarterback Derek Carr and former head coach Jon Gruden officially fell through after McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler were fired in November 2023. Towards the end of the season, Garoppolo found himself being benched for rookie Aidan O'Connell, as he led the league with interceptions in Week 9.

With the arrival of Gardner Minshew, who is 27 years old, a competition for the starting quarterback position is expected to take place in Las Vegas. Minshew, who had a productive 2023 season starting for the Indianapolis Colts in place of injured starter Anthony Richardson, threw for 15 touchdowns and achieved career-high numbers with 3,305 passing yards. His performance earned him the distinction of being named an AFC Pro Bowl alternate.

In addition to Minshew and O'Connell, the Raiders also have Anthony Brown in their quarterback room. Brown is currently on a non-guaranteed reserve/future contract.

Last season, Garoppolo started six games for the Raiders, throwing for seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. He completed 110-of-168 passes for 1,205 yards before being replaced. He also missed games due to a concussion and a back injury, sitting out a Week 4 loss to the Chargers and a Week 7 defeat against the Bears.

Garoppolo's career trajectory has been noteworthy, starting with him being a second-round pick by the Patriots in 2014. He was later traded to the San Francisco 49ers in October 2017 and played a crucial role in leading the team to three NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl appearance.

As the Raiders continue to reshape their roster and strategize for the future, all eyes will be on their quarterback position and how the competition unfolds between Minshew, O'Connell, and potentially other options found in the upcoming NFL Draft.