Will Jimmy Garoppolo, fellow Raiders starters play Saturday?

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — If the Raiders are going to play Jimmy Garoppolo in the preseason, Saturday against the Rams represents the last real opportunity.

Provided the club follows normal exhibition season protocol, there is a good chance none of their key players will play against the Cowboys next Saturday in the preseason finale.

If he doesn’t play against the Rams, the first time we will see the Raiders’ starting quarterback in an actual game is the season opener in Denver on Sept. 10.

If so, nearly nine months will have passed since Garoppolo played in a live game. Given how he was only cleared to start practicing four weeks ago while coming off the broken foot he suffered last December, it might behoove the Raiders to get him on the field with fellow starters for at least a portion of Saturday’s game against the Rams.

Garoppolo seemed open to the idea this week.

“I mean, it’s always good to play … knock some of the rust off and everything like that,” Garoppolo said.

Don’t be surprised if Garoppolo and Raiders coach Josh McDaniels decide to give him some time against the Rams.

Two other questions to ponder heading into Saturday’s game are these:

Which young offensive linemen will step up and earn more playing time?

The Raiders had a strong day along the offensive line on Sunday against the 49ers, and it will be interesting to see if they keep it up against the Rams.

In particular, undrafted free agent guard McClendon Curtis and tackle Dalton Wagner were impressive in their first outings.

Wagner, a 6-foot-8-inch, 320-pounder from Arkansas, and Curtis, a 6-6, 325-pounder from UT-Chattanooga, have drawn positive reviews throughout camp and are expected to push for spots on the 53-man roster. They are virtually joined at the hip in practice and at the Raiders’ facility.

“From the film room, to doing extra work when everybody else is gone,” Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said. “Very impressed with the way they’re going about their business.”

Netane Muti, who the Raiders plucked off Denver’s practice squad late last season, also played well against the 49ers.

Will Aidan O’Connell continue his ascent?

Needless to say, the Raiders’ rookie quarterback was the big story of the first full week of preseason games after completing 15 of 18 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. Not just for the Raiders but throughout the NFL.

In fact, analyst and former coach Steve Mariucci pegged O’Connell as a future starter on the NFL Network’s “Total Access” show this week.

“What a story this is,” Mariucci said. “But I came away from watching this game saying, ‘This kid belongs in the NFL; this is my first impression of his first pro game.’ I’m thinking this guy can start in this league eventually. He’s got enough arm, enough zip and enough accuracy, and he seems to have some confidence and swagger about him.”

The Raiders have a plan in place for O’Connell, and — provided Garoppolo stays healthy — it does not include O’Connell getting the starting job anytime soon. However, their hope is O’Connell will eventually unseat veteran Brian Hoyer as the primary backup to Garoppolo this year — and sooner rather than later — so expect him to again see extensive preseason playing time in his second outing.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.