Garoppolo Had the Respect of Former All-Pro Teammate

There's been some uneasiness amongst Raider Nation since new Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's health has become a more prominent concern as of late.

Regardless of if he is to take the field in Week 1 -- which Coach Josh McDaniels has said he's confident he will be -- fans don't know what version they could be getting of a veteran who hasn't taken a snap since December. Nor are they all that encouraged by his future availability given his track record of injuries.

If there's anything that should give Raider Nation hope in regards to what their new franchise quarterback will bring to the table, however, it's the praise of one of his former teammates -- a well-renowned one at that.

San Francisco 49ers star wideout Deebo Samuel expressed his admiration for Garoppolo when he joined the talk show, "Speak For Yourself," in February of 2022.

The interview followed the end of the 49ers' 2021-22 campaign in which Samuel put the league on notice with a dominant Pro-Bowl and first-team All-Pro season.

"Let me just keep it real," Samuel said. "We can take it back to the Titans game when Jimmy G hurt his thumb. Remember, he already had his shoulder issue. The guy comes back a week after hurting his thumb -- almost had to have surgery -- the man can barely grip the football, but come[s] back and [has] the season that we needed him to have in order to put us in a position to win. Mind you, he can barely grip the football, he's got a shoulder injury.

"That's why I respect Jimmy 100 percent. Don't nobody know what the guy really goes through. So, you just think about that: as a quarterback, not being able to use your thumb the way you need to use it. And you've got a right shoulder injury and still played the way you played. That's all I need to see."

It sounds like Garoppolo has the heart and mental toughness the Raiders franchise has always welcomed.

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