One priority for the Los Angeles Rams going into the 2024 season has been the backup quarterback position.
Matthew Stafford has already committed to returning in 2024 and will of course be the starter, but at his age, the Rams need a capable backup in case he is forced to miss a couple games due to injury.
This was an issue last season as rookie Stetson Bennett was away from the team due to personal reasons. When Stafford hurt his thumb in the middle of the season, the Rams were forced to turn to Brett Rypien, who struggled greatly against the Green Bay Packers with L.A. suffering a disappointing loss.
The Rams brought in Carson Wentz after that and he won a game for them in Week 18, showing the importance of having a capable backup. The team came into this offseason with some cap space at their disposal, leaving enough room to accomplish the goal of bringing in a veteran to back up Stafford.
It appears they have found their man as the Rams are signing Jimmy Garoppolo to a one-year contract, per Adam Schefter of ESPN:
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.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2024
Term update: Rams are giving former Raiders and 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo a one-year deal, per source. https://t.co/5BGHaPk6QT
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2024
Rams fans are obviously very familiar with Garoppolo after all of those years he played for the rival San Francisco 49ers in the division. Garoppolo has typically gotten the better of the Rams as he is 8-0 against them in the regular season although he and the 49ers of course lost to L.A. in the NFC Championship game during the 2021-22 Super Bowl run.
At 32 years of age though, Garoppolo still has a lot left in the tank and is more than capable of backing up Stafford. He played in seven games for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023 and threw for 1,205 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Rams still need another backup
Garoppolo is suspended for the first two games of the 2024 season, however, so the Rams will need to find another backup to begin the year before he is able to return.
It remains to be seen if Bennett will be back for the 2024 season, but if not, then the Rams could look to the draft to add another quarterback in the later rounds.
