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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo "dodged a big bullet" after being hospitalized for what was feared to be a worse injury during Sunday's win against the New England Patriots, head coach Josh McDaniels told reporters on Monday (October 16) via NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
McDaniels told reporters that Garoppolo underwent testing and his status for Week 7 is still unclear, however, "the prognosis is a lot better than it might otherwise have been."
On Sunday, Garoppolo was spotted getting "into an ambulance" and "transported from" Allegiant Stadium during his team's game against the New England Patriots on Sunday (October 15), according to Heidi Fang of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
"I just saw Jimmy Garoppolo get into an ambulance and he’s being transported from the stadium now. Just happened to be walking in tunnels and saw him get in. #Raiders," Fang wrote on her X account.
Garoppolo, who was replaced by veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer, was reported to have experienced a back injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Garoppolo finished Sunday's game with 162 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 14 of 22 passing prior to his injury just before halftime. The veteran quarterback had previously suffered a concussion during the Raiders' Week 3 'Sunday Night Football' loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and was inactive for their Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
The 31-year-old signed a three-year, $72.75 million deal with the Raiders this past offseason, having been limited to just 10 starts and 11 appearances due to Lisfranc foot injury during his final season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. Garoppolo was reported to have undergone secret surgery shortly after signing with the Raiders in March, league sources with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic in May 25.