Famous 49ers players who jumped ship and joined Raiders

There have been a number of famous 49ers who’ve jumped ship and joined the Raiders over the years. Here we take a look at a few of them.

The biggest news in San Francisco 49ers circles in the 2023 offseason might not have been surrounding any of the players the team signed in free agency.

It might’ve revolved around the players the team lost.

Players like safety Jimmie Ward, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and tackle Mike McGlinchey all found new homes in free agency. However, no departing player had as much buzz abound as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Having been with the team since midseason 2017, he had become an extremely polarizing figure with Niners fans. Some loved him because, when healthy, he won a lot of games for San Francisco. In 2019, the only season he started in every game, he led the team to the Super Bowl.

On the flip side, he was oft-injured and had some limitations in his skill set, which had many fans calling to replace him over his last two seasons.

Garoppolo ended up starting in his final season with the 49ers after fellow quarterback Trey Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2, and Garoppolo would lead the team to a 7-3 record before his season ended in Week 13 with a broken foot.

That injury to him spelled the end of Jimmy G’s tenure as a member of the Niners.

Once the 2023 offseason began, Garoppolo very quickly signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on a three-year deal.

He becomes one of the latest San Francisco players to jump ship to the Raiders, as many have also made that jump in the past.

Let’s take a look at five other high-profile 49ers who left the red and gold for the silver and black.