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player ready...The Las Vegas Raiders received encouraging news on Jimmy Garoppolo’s back injury.
However, coach Josh McDaniels said Monday he didn’t know if the quarterback would be healthy enough to play Sunday against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
Garoppolo was injured in Sunday’s 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots, and McDaniels said the Rolling Meadows alumnus was examined to see if “there was an internal issue.”
“It seems like we dodged a bullet in that regard, so that’s good news,” McDaniels said. “We’re still doing a couple of things this morning, and we’ll make sure we do all the right things here as we go forward. But the prognosis is a lot better than it might otherwise have been.”
If Garoppolo doesn’t play against the Bears, McDaniels can turn to ex-Bear Brian Hoyer or Stevenson alumnus Aidan O’Connell.
Hoyer, a 15-year veteran, came off the bench Sunday to throw for 102 yards on 6-of-10 passing.
O’Connell is a rookie who was drafted in the fourth round out of Purdue and started the Oct. 1 road game against the Los Angeles Chargers that Garoppolo missed because of a concussion. O’Connell completed 24 of 38 passes for 238 yards but lost two fumbles, threw an interception and was sacked seven times in the Raiders’ 24-17 loss.
Though the Raiders likely still need to see what they have in O’Connell, McDaniels said the starting quarterback Sunday will be whoever gives them the best chance to win. The Raiders are coming off back-to-back victories to get to 3-3 on the season.
“Always,” McDaniels said. “That’s all we’re about now. This isn’t about anything else.”