Raiders' Jimmy Garoppolo (back) on track to start vs. Lions - ESPN

HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who sat out Sunday's loss at Chicago Bears with a back injury suffered the week before against the New England Patriots, returned to practice Thursday and, barring any setbacks, is on track to start Monday night at the Detroit Lions, Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said.

Garoppolo declined to get into the specifics of the injury, saying only that it was «different» than any of his previous ones. The Raiders feared an internal injury at the time and sent him via ambulance to an area hospital to get scans of his back.

Garoppolo has already missed 2½ of the Raiders' first seven games, as he also sat out Las Vegas' Week 4 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers with a concussion. He said the start-stop-start-stop nature of his first season with the Raiders has been «different.»

«Every season's kind of unique. I've learned that, just throughout the years,» he said. «It's never going to go perfect, but you got to make the best of the situation. So that's what I'm trying to do. Just got to roll with the punches, man.»

Garoppolo has thrown for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns with eight interceptions while completing 68.0% of his pass attempts in 4½ games after signing a three-year, $72.75 million free agent contract with the Raiders.

Rookie Aidan O'Connell, a fourth-round draft pick from Purdue, and Brian Hoyer, a 15-year veteran, have both started in place of Garoppolo, resulting in losses at the Chargers and Bears, respectively.

The Raiders are 3-4 heading to the Lions, who are 5-2.

All-Pro receiver Davante Adams was enthusiastic about Garoppolo's return.

«For us right now, it's about working with whoever's in there, but definitely having Jimmy, he's somebody that's had