Rams solidify QB room with Garoppolo signing 

The Rams have a knack of providing veteran quarterbacks on the fringe with a good landing spot. The last three years have proven that. For the third year in a row, the occupant behind starter Matthew Stafford has come from outside of the organization. 

First, Baker Mayfield made the most of his opportunity as a backup and is now in Tampa Bay. Last season, the Rams gave Carson Wentz a shot to sit behind Stafford. This upcoming season, a longtime rival has decided to join the Rams.  

The Rams went out and signed Jimmy Garoppolo, a much-ballyhooed and well-traveled quarterback to be the official backup to Stafford.

The Los Angeles Rams have signed veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Courtesy photo/Los Angeles Rams

“It’s been a crazy process,” Garoppolo said after signing with the team. “The free agency, it went the way I thought it was going to. I had a couple different options. Rams came in about midway through and I fell in love with the place. They’re straight to the point, very professional which I appreciated and there’s no messing around. Excited to be here. It’s going to be fun.”

Having Garoppolo stand in the shadows of Stafford gives head coach Sean McVay and the Rams another quarterback who’s seen it all and has been there and done that. For a few years, Garoppolo sat behind Tom Brady and was seen as the next heir to the New England Patriots quarterback throne.

That scenario didn’t pan out and Garoppolo was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, where he led the Bay Area team to the Super Bowl and a couple of trips to the NFC Championship Game. 

It was the Rams who tripped up Garoppolo and the 49ers in his last title game appearance. The Rams went on to beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, while Garoppolo would eventually part ways with San Francisco.  

Garoppolo then signed a multi-year contract to play for the Las Vegas Raiders before things went sideways for the veteran passer, who was released. McVay and the Rams didn’t waste much time snagging Garoppolo off the market in free agency. 

So what exactly lured Garoppolo to the Rams? Being familiar with the organization was one part of it,” Garoppolo quipped. 

“It was a combination. Obviously good players all around, that’s a big part of it,” said Garoppolo. “Talking to (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) on the phone, him just running me through offense and things that he had in mind. It really became appetizing and I know a lot of the coaches here so a lot of familiarity in that aspect. Then having played against the Rams a lot in my career, I’ve seen a lot of good things from L.A.”  

The move to grab Garoppolo makes sense. With veteran players in the quarterback room, if the Rams decide to draft a player from the same position, this will allow the young signal-caller a chance to learn and earn his way onto the playing field, which could take a year or two.   

Getting Garoppolo also shows that the Rams are in the mode to win now. Garoppolo has a passing completion rate of 67 percent. This means he’s going to put the ball in play with accuracy. At 32, Garoppolo’s best season came in 2019, when he threw for 3,978 yards and 27 touchdowns.   

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) is now the backup to Matthew Stafford after playing three seasons with the New England Patriots, six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers, and a year with the Las Vegas Raiders. Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Rams

In 2021, he added another fantastic season, throwing for 3,810 yards and 20 touchdowns in 15 games. However, the scope of Garoppolo’s career has been robbed due to injuries. Garoppolo has only played in 11 games or more just three times in 10 seasons. 

In taking the backup role with the Rams, Garoppolo said he had to watch how things played out in the free agency market before McVay closed the deal. 

“I think the other quarterbacks kind of fell into place and things really worked out well,” Garoppolo said. “There were a couple different options, but once the Rams came in, started talking to Sean on the phone and really picking his brain, that was a cool moment.” 

“That was when it really started to click. I was like this is becoming more and more real. Obviously love the area, starting to experience it a little bit being out here, can’t really beat this at all. But it’s just a bunch of those little things coming together. I think talking to Sean on the phone really sealed the deal though,” he added. 

Garoppolo is entering his 11th year in the NFL once the regular season kicks up in the fall of 2024. Coming to Los Angeles gives him a fresh start, he said.  

“I’m kind excited to start this new journey,” Garoppolo said. “I don’t know exactly what is in store for me, but yeah, maybe reset, reinvent, whatever you want to call it. I’m just excited to get back on the football field and start slinging around with some new guys. I love football. I love going out there with the guys. I love every bit of it, so I’m just excited to get back out there and start throwing again.”

Top Image Caption: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is all smiles after smiling a contract to play for the Los Angeles Rams. Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Rams

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover more from News4usonline

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading