A light has emerged from the darkness.
NFL Insider Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network revealed that veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has changed his mind about his football future.
“Jimmy Garoppolo back in April, Ian Rapoport reported that he was considering retirement … 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, and now he is refreshed and renewed,” Garafolo explained on “The Insiders.” “I don’t think anything is imminent. I wouldn’t expect him to sign with anybody. Maybe it’s going to 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 the starter. Jimmy Garoppolo is not retiring from my understanding; he will continue to play.”
This has opened up a new potential door for the New York Jets to consider at backup quarterback behind Geno Smith.
A New Best Option
Garoppolo’s surprising return to the mix is dandy news for the Jets. The available quarterbacks before this most recent news were uninspiring.
Garoppolo, 34, will turn 35 during the 2026 season. He won a pair of Super Bowl rings as a backup quarterback.
He originally entered the league as the No. 62 overall pick in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. Across his 12 years in the league, Garoppolo has suited up for four NFL teams.
During his time in the league, he has appeared in 85 games and has made 64 starts. With those opportunities, he has completed 67.4% of his passes, has thrown for 15,828 passing yards, and has a 96 touchdown to 52 interception ratio.
He started his NFL career as a backup, eventually got a chance to start, and over the last two and a half years, he has returned to his backup status.
The Timing Might Work out Perfectly
According to Garafolo, Jimmy G isn’t ready to make a forever home decision right now. No problem, because neither are the Jets.
“Rookie Cade Klubnik is the fan favorite because … well, the success-starved fan base is desperate for a QB of the future. No offense to Bailey Zappe, but it would be a bummer if he wins the No. 2 job. Klubnik is a heady player with plenty of moxie, and he has a strong ally in offensive coordinator Frank Reich. The Jets want to know what they have in Klubnik before next year’s draft. If neither player shines in camp, they could go looking to sign a veteran,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini explained.
In other words, the Jets are going to let things play out a little bit in training camp. You might as well see if Klubnik can surprise and seize the QB2 job. The Jets would be very happy campers if that were to take place because that would mean that Klubnik developed faster than anyone expected.
However, if he fails to seize the moment, the Garoppolo lever is waiting to be pulled in the latter stages of free agency.
2-Time Super Bowl Champion Backup QB Emerges as New Jets Option