On a day when the Los Angeles Rams bid farewell to superstar talent Aaron Donald, they decided to follow that up by signing a one-year contract with former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, per NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo.
Jimmy Garoppolo has two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots behind Tom Brady, a Super Bowl start with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019 and an NFC Championship appearance with the team in 2021. Many of his doubters have valid points about his style of play, but the bottom line is he’s been there before.
Last year, the Los Angeles Rams were thankful to have Matthew Stafford for most of the season. The star quarterback led them to a playoff appearance, where they faced Stafford’s former team, the Detroit Lions.
That said, another blast from the past quarterback, Carson Wentz, saw some action towards the end of the year as the team was in a luxurious enough position to rest their starter, Stafford. Wentz played well enough to possibly be considered for the backup role. That said, the team signing Garoppolo shows they aren’t so sure about Wentz.
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Last year, Jimmy Garoppolo threw for just 1,205 yards and had 7 touchdowns with 9 interceptions in Las Vegas before being replaced by Aidan O’Connell, who now fights for the starting role there with incoming Raider Gardner Minshew.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Feb. 16 that the Raiders’ Garoppolo, who was also suspended by the NFL for two games due to violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy, was set to be released. When Garoppolo signed in Las Vegas, he had penned a three-year, $72.75 million deal. Through his removal, the Raiders will save $11.2 million.
This move might confuse some Rams fans, but it’s important to recall that this is the same franchise that signed Odell Beckham Jr after many thought his career was over, only for him to be a key contributor during their Super Bowl run. GM Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay must see something in Garoppolo to want to give him a shot in LA.
In a year where quarterback consolidation seems to be the name of the game, the Rams certainly appear to be stacking up. They’re not out of the mix with a probable Hall of Fame talent slinging the rock for them in Stafford. But he’s a bit older and certainly injury-prone. We’ll see if Garoppolo ends up playing next year. If so, there’s no doubt all eyeballs will be on him in LA.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.