Fans don’t seem thrilled with Rams’ backup quarterback decision

Jimmy Garoppolo will backup Matthew Stafford in 2024

On the same day that Aaron Donald announced his retirement, the Los Angeles Rams signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo will backup Matthew Stafford in 2024, though he’s suspended for the first two games of the season.

Rams fans took to social media to voice their displeasure over the signing. The quarterback musical chairs have been in full swing over the last week, and many suggested that there were better options on the table than the veteran Garoppolo.

Rams fans: “Why Garoppolo?”

Russell Wilson and Justin Fields landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kenny Pickett was sent to the Philadelphia Eagles. Desmond Ridder will join the Rams’ NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals. The New York Jets are still looking for a new home for Zach Wilson.

That doesn’t even touch on the options available in free agency. Carson Wentz, who was Stafford’s backup over the second half of 2023, is still available on the free agent market. Joe Flacco signed just a few days ago with the Indianapolis Colts. Ryan Tannehill, Josh Dobbs, and others still remain unsigned.

It makes sense that with all the names available why fans would question how the Rams landed on Garoppolo. The best case scenario for LA is that Stafford remains fully healthy for the foreseeable future and Garoppolo only takes the field in Week 18 when the Rams are resting starters ahead of the playoffs.

Jimmy G is a professional quarterback

What did the Rams see in Jimmy Garoppolo to feel comfortable anointing him as the backup to Stafford?

While Rams fans mostly remember Jimmy G as the man who threw the game-sealing interception in the 2021 NFC Championship game to send Los Angeles to Super Bowl LVI, that doesn’t do the production over the rest of his career justice. Garoppolo has the talent to start in the NFL, albeit at a middling or back of the pack level. We know what his floor and ceiling are, but you cannot say the same at this point for most of the alternatives: Justin Fields, Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder, and even Carson Wentz.

It’s also important that, based on LA’s current roster build in a post-Aaron Donald era, they won’t be a team that wins many games if something were to happen to Matthew Stafford. Garoppolo is a competent player that can step in over a short-term span. The NFL is ultra-competitive and dropping even one winnable game can be the difference between the playoffs or watching at home from your couch.

You can rely on Garoppolo to keep LA competitive for a week or two with a distilled game plan. Can you say the same about Fields, Pickett, or Ridder? While Wentz earned the Rams a win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 last year, he’s still a volatile player and the rest of the NFL doesn’t seem too keen on him joining their locker room for whatever reason.

Like it or not, Jimmy Garoppolo brings a much-needed professional presence to the Rams quarterback room.