The Seattle Seahawks have some relief that starting quarterback Sam Darnold has no fracture amid his hip injury on Wednesday.
That doesn’t mean the Seahawks are out of the woods for a long recovery, and Seattle can’t afford to risk even a month of the season. It behooves the Seahawks to find an additional option at quarterback, though backup Drew Lock played well in the 13-10 win over the New England Patriots.
Seattle could lure Jimmy Garoppolo out of retirement and add depth and possibly pass Lock for the starting job until Darnold is back. A former Super Bowl quarterback, Garoppolo has expressed interest in coming back this year for the right situation.
He led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in the 2019 season, and Garoppolo spent the last two seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Rams. Since he has played for both 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and Rams head coach Sean McVay, Garoppolo would clearly have insights on facing both NFC West rivals.
Since this is a win-now season for the Seahawks, it only makes sense to give Garoppolo a call. His last substantial playing time came in the 2024 season when he went 1-1 for the Rams with 334 yards passing for two touchdowns versus an interception.
Jimmy Garoppolo Doesn’t Need to Save Seahawks’ Season
Garoppolo previously went 3-3 for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023, and he threw for 1,205 yards and seven touchdowns. On the downside, he had nine picks for a struggling Raiders squad, which doesn’t inspire confidence in general.
That said, Garoppolo doesn’t need to be Superman in the Seahawks offense. Seahawks star wide receiver and reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba started strong on Wednesday night with a 45-yard touchdown. Seattle will have star running back Zach Charbonnet healthy again, and rookie Jadarian Price had a solid first game.
Garoppolo’s shot the Seahawks could resemble his time with the 49ers when he enjoyed a wealth of strong skill players. That included wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle
With ties to both the 49ers and Rams, Garoppolo could have some extra motivation to take on his former teams. Things didn’t end easily in San Francisco, where the 49ers traded up in 2021 to draft Trey Lance. Brock Purdy then ultimately replaced Lance and Garoppolo as the starter, and Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant as the final pick of the 2022 draft.
Jimmy Garoppolo Brings Valuable Experience at Low Cost
Garoppolo is seasoned as a playoff quarterback, whether it’s his run with the 49ers or his first stint with the Patriots. A second-round pick from Eastern Illinois, Garoppolo played four seasons in New England behind Tom Brady and was part of two Super Bowl-winning teams.
That’s the kind of experience that’s hard to find in the free agent and trade market. In addition, Garoppolo shouldn’t cost the Seahawks much since he has been a backup for the past two seasons.
The Rams paid him a one-year, $3 million contract as Matthew Stafford’s backup last year. Los Angeles didn’t need to re-sign Garoppolo amid the drafting of Ty Simpson from Alabama with a first-round pick.
Seahawks Could Lure Ex-Super Bowl QB From Retirement