Neither the Raiders nor the Bears will have their starting quarterbacks on Sunday. After suffering a back injury against the Patriots, Jimmy Garoppolo has been ruled out for the team’s Week 7 game in Chicago.
Garoppolo has not practiced this week and it appears that the franchise is using an abundance of caution here. That news was first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN on X:
Raiders’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo will not play Sunday’s game vs. the Bears due to his back injury, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 19, 2023
It has not yet been announced who will start in Garoppolo’s place on Sunday, but the Raiders did turn to Aidan O’Connell earlier this year when Garoppolo missed a game due to a concussion. However, it was veteran Brian Hoyer who entered the game last week when Garoppolo was forced to leave.
The smart bet here would be Hoyer as he is the safer option. And with the Raiders having a 3-3 record and playing on the road against another rookie quarterback, Hoyer might give them the best chance to win. Look for Josh McDaniels to announce a starter later this week before the team heads to Chicago.