Jimmy Garoppolo has never been a high-volume passer as he’s averaged just 28.6 passing attempts per game in his NFL career. However, his value has always been his ability to be efficient on limited attempts.
According to Pro Football Focus, no quarterback in the NFL has averaged more yards per attempt than Garoppolo since the start of the 2021 season:
Over the past two seasons, Garoppolo’s 8.3 yards per attempt is the top mark in the NFL, and he gets the ball out quickly with a 2.53-second average time to throw that is among the 10 fastest over the span. He may not elevate an offense, but he can certainly keep one on schedule and raise a team’s floor.
While the 8.3 yards per attempt is certainly encouraging, it’s worth mentioning that Kyle Shanahan’s offense has always been very QB-friendly. A rookie Brock Purdy averaged 8.1 yards per attempt in nine games with the 49ers last season.
It’s fair to assume that Garoppolo’s yards per attempt will drop in Las Vegas given his supporting cast. But the hope is that he can still be one of the league’s most efficient quarterbacks with Josh McDaniels.
If Garoppolo can maintain his efficiency with the Raiders, he’ll prove to be one of the biggest steals of the entire offseason.