Why Jimmy Garoppolo Considers Rams ‘Appetizing’ Landing Spot

Jimmy Garoppolo lasted just one season as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders after signing a three-year contract last offseason, but has now found a clean slate with the Los Angeles Rams looking ahead into 2024.

Garoppolo, 32, signed a one-year deal with the Rams, quickly finding employment less than a week after being released by the Raiders. That return to the free agency market for a second straight offseason gave Garoppolo a handful of avenues to explore, however, he ultimately elected to take a backup gig behind Los Angeles starter Matthew Stafford and firmly believes the Rams are the right fit moving forward.

"Obviously good players all around. That's a big part of it," Garoppolo told reporters Tuesday, per ESPN's Sarah Barshop. "Taking to Sean (McVay) on the phone, him just running me through offense and things that he had in mind, it really became appetizing. And I know a lot of the coaches here, so a lot of familiarity in that aspect. And then having played against the Rams a lot in my career, I've seen a lot of good things from L.A."

The Rams provide an overall more stable destination than Las Vegas proved to have, despite the downside of playing second fiddle -- again. Garoppolo dealt with everything from injuries to reuniting with then-head coach Josh McDaniels, who didn't have the locker room's respect and got fired after a 3-5 start following Week 8.

Garoppolo, on the other hand, didn't do himself any favors either. In an attempt to prove to himself and the Raiders that he's still a starting-caliber quarterback, Garoppolo struggled to lead a competitive offense. Las Vegas went 3-3 when Garoppolo started, failing to score produce over 19 points offensively as the two-time Super Bowl champ threw seven touchdowns with nine interceptions before losing the starting role for good.

The opportunities will likely be very limited in Los Angeles, potentially sealing Garoppolo's fate as a backup for the remainder of his playing career. He'll also have to serve a two-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy before returning in Week 3.

Los Angeles is coming off a first-round playoff exit in search of returning to Super Bowl-contending form.