How a text message helped Jimmy Garoppolo choose Raiders

It turns out an old text message helped convince quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. 

As shared by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Garoppolo was preparing to guide the San Francisco 49ers into their NFC Divisional postseason contest at the Green Bay Packers in January 2022 when he received a text from current Las Vegas head coach Josh McDaniels. 

"Good luck. Pulling for you," McDaniels told Garoppolo. 

Garoppolo and the 49ers earned a 13-10 victory at Lambeau Field. San Francisco then lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. 

"It’s simple things like that. … I haven’t really talked to the guy in like four years," Garoppolo explained about hearing from McDaniels before the playoff clash in Green Bay. "In the NFL, you meet a lot of people. A lot of different personalities—some good, some bad. When you find a good one and you find someone who really cares about winning and cares about you as a player, for him to send that text? He didn’t need to do that. But I don’t know, when you meet a good person, you like to keep them around." 

Of course, Garoppolo and McDaniels were no strangers before that exchange. McDaniels served as Jimmy G's offensive coordinator with the New England Patriots from the signal-callers' rookie season in 2014 until New England traded Garoppolo to San Francisco in the fall of 2017. 

Additionally, current Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler worked as a member of the Patriots' personnel staff during Garoppolo's time in New England. 

The Athletic reported this past Thursday that Garoppolo and the Raiders ultimately agreed to a three-year contract that could be worth up to $72.5M with $33.75M guaranteed at signing. It was previously said that McDaniels and Ziegler viewed Garoppolo as a better "culture fit" than former starter Derek Carr, whom the Las Vegas regime parted ways with after a single season.