The Los Angeles Rams made it a point this offseason to look for a veteran backup quarterback behind Super Bowl champion Matthew Stafford, as they wanted to avoid having to take any scheduled losses if their starter had to miss some time. They settled on former San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, a veteran known for his ability to win football games above all else.
In Garoppolo, the Rams have a trusted failsafe if Stafford were to get hurt. And he’s also a quarterback that both the Rams and Stafford know well, as they have battled many times over the years, including in the NFC Championship Game when the Rams won the Super Bowl.
But it wasn’t until last year that the two veterans got to sit down and talk. Garoppolo described that interaction and what he took away from the Rams starting quarterback.
“I got to meet Matthew a couple times obviously after we played, but similar to Sean after last year’s practice and training camp against these guys we got to sit and talk for a minute,” Garoppolo said. “Matthew was really cool, normal, down to earth guy, Super Bowl champion. I think that speaks for itself and his arm talent, I don’t think he gets enough credit but I think people are starting to notice that. I’m excited to work with him, learn from him and all that good stuff.”
Knowing that Stafford and Garoppolo already have a rapport and a history together likely made it easier for the Rams to move forward with signing the former 49ers signal caller. And it seems as though, on the surface, the two veterans speak a similar language when it comes to the game of football.
Very few quarterbacks have won at the rate that Stafford and Garoppolo have won over the last few seasons. They both are instinctual leaders and have been well-liked everywhere they’ve been. And that should be a massive boost for the Rams as they prepare to capitalize on their surprise 2023 campaign.
Jimmy Garoppolo explains reasons for signing with Rams
Garoppolo signed a one-year deal with the Rams and he explained how it came about.
“It’s been a crazy process,” Garoppolo said. 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.”
