The Los Angeles Rams have chosen their path, and it has not included Super Bowl champion quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. However, Garoppolo could be on the Rams’ short-list of candidates to call.
That is, if something were to happen to starter and reigning Most Valuable Player Matthew Stafford.
Short of that, Garoppolo has been called the “best bargain” in free agency at QB.
Ex-Rams QB Jimmy Garoppolo Tops FA Market
Bleacher Reports Kristopher Knox ranked Garoppolo ahead of other options Josh Johnson and Will Levis on his list, underscoring how highly the former Rams QB is viewed around the league even at this stage of his career.
“The free-agent market isn’t loaded with starting-caliber quarterbacks, even after several signal-callers were dumped on Sunday. However, Jimmy Garoppolo is a former starter who can be a high-end backup and who has been available since the start of the offseason,” Knox wrote on August 31.
“Garoppolo had considered retirement early in the offseason, but NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported in July that the former Super Bowl-starting QB is open to playing in 2026.”
Garoppolo, who turns 35 in November, spent two seasons with the Rams.
He appeared in four games, starting one, and threw for 334 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. A two-time Super Bowl champion, he won both rings as a backup with the New England Patriots, who drafted him in the second round with the 62nd overall pick in 2014.
Garoppolo also led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl as a starting quarterback before joining the Rams.
He has thrown for 15,828 yards, 96 TDs, and 52 INTs in his career.
Knox listed the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets as potential landing spots for Garoppolo. Garoppolo might want to keep his options open, though, since the Rams could still have him in mind.
Rams Could Still Target Super Bowl Champion QB
“Here’s my understanding with Jimmy G: in the right situation, he will come back, and he will play football. He has not decided to retire. He just needed some time to himself this offseason,” Garafolo said on “The Insiders” in July.
“Now, it’s like, okay, a little bit refreshed, renewed. I don’t think anything is imminent. I wouldn’t expect him to sign with anybody. Maybe it’s gonna have to be an injury to a quarterback, and all of a sudden you need a veteran guy to come in and be part of the mix, if not be a starter. But Jimmy Garoppolo is not retiring, from my understanding. He will continue to play.”
That call could be from the Rams.
That is despite the presence of 2023 fourth-round pick Stetson Bennett IV and rookie No. 13 pick Ty Simpson.
“Bennett will likely take the backup role Jimmy Garoppolo held the past two seasons. That would set up Simpson to sit and learn as a rookie, which the Rams see as valuable given the position’s complexity,” The Athletic’s Nate Atkins wrote on August 29.
“If Stafford were to suffer a significant injury, the Rams could consider calling Garoppolo, who is currently a free agent and has been contemplating retirement. If it’s a short-term injury, Bennett seems likely to be the replacement, but it’s not as settled a spot as it has been in recent seasons.”
Rams head coach Sean McVay was hopeful Garoppolo would return to LA this offseason.
At this stage, the Rams likely hope that they do not need to put that call in, but knowing Garoppolo is an option is reassuring. The question is how much longer that lasts.
Former Los Angeles Rams Quarterback Considered ‘Best Bargain’ in NFL