Tua Tagovailoa is most likely going to miss some this season after suffering the third diagnosed concussion of his career on Thursday night. Given his history of head injuries, some former NFL players are even calling for Tagovailoa to retire and put his health before football.
It’s safe to assume the Dolphins quarterback will be out at least a few weeks, if not longer. As Miami weighs its options under center, one name that’s been floated is Jimmy Garoppolo.
With Garoppolo’s ties to Mike McDaniel from their time in San Francisco, it would be an obvious fit. Of course, Garoppolo is on the Rams’ roster so it would require the Dolphins to trade for him.
QB move that makes some sense for Dolphins to help QB situation immediately?
Trade for Jimmy Garoppolo.
Played in Shanahan/McDaniel system and went to SB with them one year.
Great answer? No. But something to consider.
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) September 13, 2024
If the Dolphins approach Les Snead and Sean McVay about trading for Garoppolo, the Rams should politely decline. They’re in no position to trade away their backup quarterback, a guy they were excited about signing this past offseason.
As nice as it would be for the Rams to recoup a draft pick by shipping Garoppolo to South Beach, it would not be a smart move given what we saw from Stetson Bennett in the preseason. Bennett didn’t look ready to start an NFL game this summer and if Garoppolo were to be traded, Stetson would be one Matthew Stafford injury away from leading the offense.
In that scenario, the Rams could effectively kiss their Super Bowl aspirations goodbye. It would be 2022 all over again, and we all remember what happened that year.
With all the injuries Los Angeles has suffered this season, Stafford is likely to be under more pressure and get hit more often than he was last year. That harsh reality puts him at much greater risk of injury, unfortunately, which only emphasizes the need for a capable backup.
Garoppolo may not be as good as he once was, but he’s still a better option than Bennett right now. And there’s no chance the Rams would get a valuable pick in return for him from Miami, certainly nothing more than a fifth- or sixth-rounder.
Trading Garoppolo away without a great option behind him and with a decimated offensive line trying to protect Stafford would be a misstep by the Rams.