NFL
Two-time Super Bowl champion Jimmy Garoppolo set for rare LA Rams start this weekend
After serving as Tom Brady’s backup for the New England Patriots, Garoppolo had been a regular starter elsewhere.
The Los Angeles Rams will rest regular quarterback Matthew Stafford for the Week 18 visit of the Seattle Seahawks, giving backup Jimmy Garoppolo a rare opportunity to start.
The Rams managed a 10-6 record in 2024, enough to assure them of a playoff spot in a competitive NFC. Head coach Sean McVay had hinted that he would rest players against the Seahawks and revealed on Wednesday that Stafford would be among those sitting out.
He is replaced by 33-year-old Garappolo, who is not short of NFL experience. He was Tom Brady’s backup with the New England Patriots for four years, giving him two Super Bowl rings despite making just one post-season appearance in that time. Sunday’s game will be Garoppolo’s first NFL start since Week 8 of 2023 but McVay has been keen to highlight the QB’s professionalism during that time.
“What I’ve seen is a guy that’s approached it like a pro,” McVay told reporters. “Been a great teammate. You can see just the respect, the reverence for Matthew, and really for each other, that they have for one another.”
Jimmy Garoppolo salary details and contract length
After those initial four season with the Patriots, Garoppolo joined the San Francisco 49ers in October 2017 and he made his first start in December. He helped transform a team that had gone 10-1 to start the season and was swiftly signed to a new five-year, $137.5 million contract. However injury affected his subsequent seasons in SF and he was allowed to leave at the end of the contract.
In 2023 he signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders but was released by the Raiders after just one year, following the firing of head coach Josh McDaniels. In March 2024 he penned a one-year contract with the Rams but was forced to sit out the first two games of the season due to a minor violation of league drug policy.
Garoppolo’s Rams deal has a base value of $4.5 million but could reach as high as $12 million with incentives. However given that he will be making his first start of the season in Week 18, it’s unlikely that those additional conditions will be met.
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