With all the moves the Los Angeles Rams made this offseason, the signing of Jimmy Garoppolo wasn’t one that necessarily excited many fans. He’s a backup quarterback who used to play for a bitter rival, and he’s also suspended for the first two games of the season.
But as boring as a backup QB signing can be, it was an important one made by the Rams. We saw how valuable a backup can be last season when Brett Rypien was thrown into a starting role against the Packers with Matthew Stafford injured. The result was an embarrassing loss at Lambeau Field, one that some fans felt ended the Rams’ playoff hopes.
With his playoff experience and ability to operate an offense like Sean McVay’s, Garoppolo is one of the more important players on the Rams’ roster in 2024. He kicks off our series of the 24 most important Rams for the upcoming season, checking in at No. 24.
How he got here
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The Rams signed Garoppolo to a one-year deal worth $4.5 million, with a max value of $12 million through incentives. Garoppolo was cut by the Raiders this offseason.
2023 stats
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7 games (6 starts) with Raiders: 1,205 yards, 7 TD passes, 9 INTs, 77.7 passer rating
Projected role
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Garoppolo is going to be the primary backup to Stafford this season, just not in the first two weeks when he’s suspended. The only opportunities he’ll get to play is if Stafford gets hurt or the Rams are in a blowout where the starters are pulled. The only other quarterback who could push for Garoppolo’s job is Stetson Bennett, but it’s hard to imagine him overtaking the veteran.
Why he's important
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13-for-28, 130 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, two fumbles, one fumble lost. Those are the numbers put up by Brett Rypien against the Packers in a 20-3 Week 9 loss by the Rams last season. It’s not as if the Packers had a dominant defense at the time, either.
Les Snead flat-out said this offseason that the Rams needed a better backup quarterback after the performance turned in by Rypien last year and they feel good about Garoppolo backing up Stafford in 2024.
Stafford is one of the toughest quarterbacks in the league but he’s also 36 years old and has missed at least one game in three of the last five years. Having a backup who can keep the ship afloat during any potential absence from Stafford is critical.
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