LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Jimmy Garoppolo says his goal with the Raiders is ‘to win a Super Bowl’
Jimmy Garoppolo opened up his first press conference as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders by thanking the San Francisco 49ers.
“I just want to thank the York’s, thank the 49ers for everything that they’ve done,” Garoppolo said. “My time there was awesome. Enjoyed it, a lot of ups and downs. It was a fun time but turning the page now, moving on to the next chapter in my life.”
Garoppolo reunites with Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels on a reported 3-year, $67.5 million contract. During his time in San Francisco, he threw for 13,599 yards, 82 touchdowns, and appeared in three NFC Championship Games and Super Bowl LIV.
But like he said, there were ups and downs. Especially the last few years when the 49ers drafted Trey Lance. But, just because he’s the only quarterback on the Raiders’ roster, it doesn’t mean he wants to be given anything.
“I’m coming in with the mindset that I need to earn everything,” Garoppolo said. “I don’t want to be given any, ‘You’re the franchise guy’ or whatever. I want to come in and earn it. I think that’ll come through hard work, working with the teammates, being at the facility. All those little things will play a role, but I don’t want to be given anything. I want to earn it.”
And he’s confident the team has the weapons to compete, not just within the AFC West, but for a Super Bowl. This isn’t something he’s saying because it’s his first press conference. He wants to “get a ring” and “get the Silver and Black back to where it should be.”
“I also know that it’s a very tough road and you never want to go into it and set expectations too high,” Garoppolo said. “You want to go in and know that you’re going to work hard, enjoy the process, and I truly believe that that’s what gets you to February at the end of the year. If you try to skip through the process and take shortcuts, you’re not making the playoffs. That’s just the reality of this league and I’m a firm believer in that. So, I think if we put in the work, do all the things the right way and get the right people in here, that’s a good start.”
Welcome to the Silver and Black, @JimmyG_10 🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/pbsd6j6dmN
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) March 17, 2023
Replacing Derek Carr will be difficult. He was a starter with the Raiders for nearly a decade and holds many team records. But Garoppolo understands he can’t fill those shoes if he’s not himself.
“I just want to be myself and it’s done me well in the past. I think the hard-working part, setting the example for the young guys, bringing everyone along, getting everyone on the same page. I think those are the little things that go a long way, and like I said before, I’m trying to bring an energy to this building, get everyone going in the right direction. And when you have that passion, when you play with passion on the field, I think it translates to the building, too. And that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Click here to watch the full introductory press conference with Jimmy Garoppolo.
