3 QBs the Raiders Need to Target Next After Tom Brady Retirement

Tom Brady's shocking retirement news on Wednesday sent massive shockwaves through the NFL, including the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders were believed to be eyeing Brady as a potential replacement for Derek Carr, hoping to reunite the seven-time Super Bowl champ with head coach Josh McDaniels.

With Brady no longer available, however, Las Vegas will need to pursue other options under center. Here are three quarterbacks the Raiders should target to play for them in 2023.

Raiders Quarterback Rumors

1. Lamar Jackson

Jackson may not have Brady's postseason resume, but he does have the advantage of being two decades younger and infinitely faster. After years of having limited weapons in Baltimore, the former MVP could take his game to new heights with Las Vegas' talented supporting cast. He could also flourish under McDaniels, who coached a similar quarterback in Cam Newton with the New England Patriots. After going 6-11 last year, the Raiders would instantly become legit contenders with Jackson on board, who's one of the most dynamic signal-callers in the NFL when healthy. This all depends on how the Ravens proceed with Jackson's contract situation.

2. Jimmy Garoppolo

McDaniels coached Garoppolo during their time together with the Patriots, so a reunion would make a ton of sense. While his stats haven't always been impressive, Garoppolo consistently finds ways to win games based on his 40-17 career record during the regular season. He's also 4-2 in the postseason, proving he has what it takes to win under pressure. Jimmy G also plays with a similar style to Carr, so he wouldn't have much trouble fitting into the Raiders' offense.

3. Geno Smith

Smith is an attractive option after a surprisingly excellent 2022 campaign. Not only did he lead the Seattle Seahawks to the playoffs with a 9-8 record, but he also paced the NFL in completion rate (69.8%) while throwing for over 4,000 yards and compiling a 30/11 TD/INT ratio. Smith's accuracy and ability to take care of the ball would be welcomed by a Raiders team that was undone by Carr's turnover issues down the stretch. With Davante Adams, Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow, and potentially Josh Jacobs around him, Las Vegas also wouldn't have to worry about a major drop-off from Smith.