The Las Vegas Raiders are experiencing a major shake-up in their coaching staff mid-season. They sacked HC Josh McDaniels, GM Dave Ziegler, and OC Mick Lombardi, following a 12-point deficit loss to the Lions. Just hours after McDaniels’ dismissal, interim HC Antonio Pierce has opted to make Jimmy Garoppolo the backup to rookie QB Aiden O’Connell.
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These recent developments undoubtedly overshadowed Jimmy G’s birthday on November 2nd. Nevertheless, in a surprising twist, the official Raiders’ social media page extended warm birthday wishes to their now-backup QB. This gesture sparked mixed reactions among fans, given the ongoing crisis surrounding Jimmy being benched and replaced by a rookie.
Notably, NFL pundit Ian Rapoport reports that a source within the Raiders team has stated that they consider Aidan O’Connell to be the best quarterback for the team.
As word got around, fans were fast to notice this strange situation. The comments section of the post was filled up with lots of jokes and GIFs. The whole internet was buzzing with talk about this surprising twist, making more people think hard about the decisions the Raiders had made.
Raiders’ Surprising Birthday Tribute to Jimmy Garoppolo Sparks Fan Frenzy
The Raiders shared a picture of Jimmy Garoppolo on their social media account to celebrate the quarterback’s 32nd birthday. The accompanying caption read, “Join us in wishing Jimmy Garoppolo a Happy Birthday!” Fans quickly joined in, flooding the comment section with a whirlwind of wild reactions, adding to the buzz around the unexpected gesture.
Join us in wishing Jimmy Garoppolo Happy Birthday!#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/48KY8lowy5
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 2, 2023
A fan weighed in on the situation, labeling it as insane.
Nawwwwww this insanity 😂😂😂
— Gerald McCoy (@Geraldini93) November 2, 2023
Another fan pointed out how the veteran QB will be celebrating his birthday from the bench.
Jimmy Garoppolo enjoying his birthday from the bench pic.twitter.com/odX2pc3f0Z
— Korked Bats (@korkedbats) November 2, 2023
One user cleverly stated that the Raiders had a surprise in store for Jimmy G, offering an unexpected gift.
They got him a bench for his birthday pic.twitter.com/YdHSnOlt5u
— VΞRDICT4489 (@Verdict4489) November 2, 2023
Meanwhile, a different fan stepped up to show their support for Garoppolo on his special day.
Bro still deserves to have his birthday celebrated even if he’s not the starter. 🤷♂️
— A Araya (@artaraya) November 2, 2023
A fan believes it’s actually a decent gift.
24 million to sit on the bench. What a birthday present
— krazzie (@yoennalcides) November 2, 2023
Furthermore, a video is now making rounds on X (formerly Twitter), featuring Jimmy G and Aidan O’Connell practicing together. Fans have labeled the video as evidence of the weakest QB room in recent times. Both quarterbacks actively engage in dodging and throwing the ball, but NFL fans express doubts about the seriousness of their practice sessions.
Check out rookie QB Aidan O’Connell’s footwork alongside Jimmy Garoppolo after taking over the starting job for the Raiders.
🎥: By @SeanZittel, Vegas Sports Today#RaiderNation @VegasSportsTD pic.twitter.com/P21qLsfFhA
— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) November 2, 2023
The Raiders are currently heading into week 9 against the Giants, currently 2-6, and the recent shakeup has created significant hype among the Raiders Nation. Can the Men in Black finally reach great heights with O’Connell as a starter? What do you think?