Getty Former Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
It’s only been a year since the Las Vegas Raiders gave Jimmy Garoppolo a three-year contract but he’s already back on the free agent market after the team released him recently. However, he didn’t last on the free agent market for long.
Garoppolo is signing a contract with the Los Angeles Rams, per a March 15 X post from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Rams are signing former Raiders and 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo, per source..
NFL suspended Garoppolo two games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
Garoppolo won’t be able to suit up for the Rams for the first two games of the season due to a suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. This will be the first time he’s been signed specifically to be a backup.
The Rams made the playoffs last year and Matthew Stafford continues to be one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. Garoppolo will be his backup next season. While it’s clear that he’s no longer a starting-level quarterback after his one season with the Raiders, he has a lot of value as a backup.
Stafford has an injury history so having a backup who can come in and win games is important for a team like the Rams. Also, head coach Sean McVay comes from Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tree, who coached Garoppolo for several years with the San Francisco 49ers. It should be an easy adjustment for the quarterback.
Is Jimmy Garoppolo Done Being a Starter?
There are several teams this offseason, including the Raiders, that currently don’t have a set starter. It’s surprising that none of those teams would take a flyer on Jimmy Garoppolo to see if he has any juice left.
With the Rams, he’s not going to compete to start unless Matthew Stafford gets injured. Garoppolo still has a 43-20 record as a starter and has led a team to the Super Bowl before. That said, he did lead the NFL in interceptions with nine at the time of his benching.
His play was so bad that it likely played a big role in head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler getting fired. Garoppolo is 32 now so he’s young enough to potentially land another starting job but he seems better suited to be a backup going forward. Sean McVay is one of the best quarterback coaches in the NFL so it’s possible he could work some magic and get Garoppolo right.
Las Vegas Raiders to Have QB Competition
The Raiders’ quarterback room is set to look very different in 2024. Jimmy Garoppolo is gone and Brian Hoyer was also cut. Aidan O’Connell is the only other quarterback expected to return.
The team signed Gardner Minshew in free agency but they didn’t guarantee him the starting quarterback spot.
“It’s going to be competitive,” Minshew said during his March 14 introductory press conference. “They’re going to try to put together the best quarterback room they can. There’s no promises being made. I don’t want any guarantees, I just want a chance.”
The Raiders are set to have a full-fledged quarterback competition this offseason, especially if they add a rookie. The quarterback play for the Raiders can’t be much worse than it was in 2023. The team doesn’t have a quarterback of the future yet and until they do, they’ll be a team to watch on the quarterback market.