If the Las Vegas Raiders end up releasing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, the New York Jets could make a play for him, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic.

The Raiders signed Garoppolo to a three-year, $72.5 million contract last offseason, but things did not exactly go according to plan for the veteran.

Garoppolo made just six starts before being benched in favor of rookie signal-caller Aidan O’Connell. During his time on the field, Garoppolo threw for 1,205 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 65.1 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 77.7.

If Las Vegas does ultimately cut Garoppolo, it will end up paying him $35 million for just those six starts. It will also result in around $29 million in dead money spread over the next two years on the team’s cap (per Bill Barnwell of ESPN).

It’s important to note that Garoppolo has a connection with Jets head coach Robert Saleh, as Saleh was the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator during Garoppolo’s time with the 49ers.

Of course, Garoppolo would not be New York’s starting quarterback, as Aaron Rodgers has a firm hold on that job heading into 2024. However, Garoppolo would certainly represent a massive upgrade as a backup over Zach Wilson.

With Rodgers missing all but one offensive series of 2023 due to a torn Achilles, backup quarterback has become a more pressing need for the Jets, as they can’t bank on Rodgers remaining healthy all of next seasson.

Taking that into consideration, it’s no surprise that Gang Green may have some interest in Garoppolo, who led San Francisco to the Super Bowl during the 2019-20 campaign.

Jimmy Garoppolo began his career with the New England Patriots as Tom Brady’s backup before being traded to the Niners in 2017.