With Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford potentially on his way out of the NFC West this offseason, Sean McVay and Co. reportedly are willing to give former 49ers signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo a shot.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier this month that the Rams' "first priority" is extending Stafford, but Los Angeles is likely to trade the 37-year-old if a contract agreement can't be reached. Should the latter occur, The Athletic's Dianna Russini revealed the Rams believe Garoppolo is capable of starting for them (h/t CBS Sports).
"Look, here's what I know -- the Rams are comfortable with Jimmy Garoppolo," Russini told Chase Daniel on Tuesday's episode of the "Scoop City" podcast. "So Jimmy will be a free agent, and I expect them to sign Jimmy ... This is why Sean McVay gets all the credit that he deserves, because he is a he is like a Kevin O'Connell in terms of give him a quarterback who can run his offense, and they can have success. By the way, this is not me. I'm not picking a side here. ...
"I can tell you the Rams feel good about Jimmy G, they do. And I don't think this is a leverage play. I don't think this is them daring Matthew to walk."
After five-and-a-half seasons with the 49ers following a midseason trade from the New England Patriots in 2017, Garoppolo played for the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2023 NFL season and then signed with the Rams ahead of the 2024 campaign.
The 33-year-old served as Stafford's backup and started the Rams' season finale against the Seattle Seahawks, completing 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in a 30-25 loss. While that was Garoppolo's only appearance for Los Angeles, he started six games for Las Vegas the year prior after recording the third-most wins in 49ers franchise history during his tenure in the Bay.
San Francisco 49ers
Some considered Garoppolo a proven victor as San Francisco's starter after he reached the Super Bowl at the end of the 2019 season and the NFC Championship Game two years later. But he had his fair share of struggles, losing his starting job to former No. 3 overall draft pick Trey Lance in 2022 and then Brock Purdy later that season when Garoppolo broke his foot in place of Lance, who sustained an ankle fracture in Week 2.
At the time of his injury, Garoppolo was playing some of his best football in a 49ers uniform -- but Purdy's unprecedented ascension left no room for the veteran in San Francisco when he was healthy again. While none of that history exists with the Rams, Russini explained that Garoppolo has proven himself to Los Angeles during his short time there.
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"They've seen enough from him in the offseason, in practice to feel comfortable," Russini told Daniel. "... I'm telling you that the Rams feel good about Jimmy Garoppolo."
After the Rams' first-place finish in the NFC West this past season, trading Stafford, re-signing Garoppolo and tabbing him as their 2025 starter would be quite the choice. But Garoppolo has shown he can efficiently run an offense with the right weapons around him -- and he might just have to prove it against the 49ers next season.
