Tag: Jimmy Garoppolo

Sean McVay explains how Jimmy Garoppolo has helped make the Rams defense better

Jimmy Garoppolo has played a valuable role as a backup and Sean McVay gave him credit for helping the defense get better in practice

Eleven-year NFL veteran Jimmy Garoppolo has had a memorable career, enjoying success with both New England and San Francisco in vastly different roles. Finding ways to contribute on the field and inside the facility, Garoppolo won two Super Bowls as a backup before winning an NFC championship with the 49ers as their starter.

While it seems like Garoppolo’s days as a starter are behind him, his days as a contributor continue – but in a role that one might not expect. The scout team is full of players who may not see the field on Sundays but have the talent to if they’re ever called up. While they don’t get the love they deserve, their work plays a massive part in a championship effort.

Sean McVay was asked how Garoppolo helps the defense get better as a scout-team quarterback.

“I just think it’s the ability for him to be able to activate the parts of the field and make quick decisions,” he said. “He has such a command too. Sometimes you get some of these younger quarterbacks and they’re not quite as comfortable taking command of the huddle. Even if you just hear the way that he communicates with the guys around him, you can’t help but get better because our defense is seeing a look that’s very much reflective of high-level starting caliber quarterback play with the things that he can do. He has a great way about himself. He has definitely made them better by the way that he handles himself on the field, the looks that he’s able to present them, in terms of just mimicking and imitating the opposing team’s quarterback, and then I think he’s also made the players that he’s around better [by] the way he communicates to them. I don’t think it’s by mistake that when you talk to teammates of his at other stops he’s been at, he’s very well regarded and they want to play hard for him.”

After getting released by the Raiders following the 2023 season, Garoppolo signed a one-year deal with the Rams this past offseason. For a defense full of young players, Garoppolo’s ability to teach and improve the players around him may keep him on the Rams for the future.

Watch: Sean McVay gave out 6 game balls after Rams beat Patriots, including one to Jimmy G

Sean McVay gave out 6 game balls during his locker room speech, and even Jimmy Garoppolo got one in his return to New England.

Sean McVay was pleased with the way his team played on Sunday in their 28-22 win over the New England Patriots, a game that was much closer than it should’ve been. There are certainly things to clean up, which he alluded to in his postgame press conference, but it was a successful trip to Foxborough for the Los Angeles Rams.

In his postgame locker room speech, McVay applauded the job his players did and recognized six guys with game balls – including two coaches. He gave game balls to Braden Fiske and Kamren Kinchens for their turnover-producing plays, as well as Matthew Stafford for moving into 10th place all-time on the passing touchdowns list.

He also gave Jimmy Garoppolo, Jerry Schuplinski and Nick Caley game balls for coming away with a win against their former team.

None of those three former Patriots played in the game, but McVay wanted to recognize them for the jobs they’ve done all year. Garoppolo backs up Stafford, Schuplinski is a senior offensive assistant and Caley coaches the tight ends.

Former 49ers QB can’t help Rams in Week 3 matchup

After spending six seasons in red and gold, the former 49ers quarterback will be on the opposing sideline on Sunday in Los Angeles.

On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers will run into a familiar face on the opposing sideline in Los Angeles.

After spending six seasons with the 49ers and one with the Las Vegas Raiders, Jimmy Garoppolo is now a member of the Los Angeles Rams. Garoppolo serves as the backup to Matt Stafford in Sean McVay’s offense.

Prior to Sunday’s Week 3 contest between the 49ers and Rams, Rams offensive coordinator and former 49ers assistant coach Mike LaFleur spoke about the benefits of having Garoppolo in a matchup against the Niners.

Despite LaFleur’s outlook, Kyle Shanahan doesn’t seem too bothered by Garoppolo’s presence on the Rams’ sideline. On Friday, Shanahan told reporters he thinks the situation is “overblown.”

I think it’s way overblown. Little bit more from Mike LaFleur. That started last year though. But, no, not that much.

Via @NBCS49ers on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/NBCS49ers/status/1837251416399958523

Over six seasons with the 49ers, Garoppolo threw for 13,499 yards, 82 touchdowns and 42 interceptions. Garoppolo posted a 38-17 regular-season record with the 49ers. In 2020, Garoppolo helped lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

After his time ended in San Francisco, Garoppolo signed with the Raiders. Garoppolo struggled in Las Vegas and was eventually released after starting six games.

Garoppolo joined McVay and Stafford in Los Angeles during the 2024 offseason.

The 49ers are set to meet the Rams at 1:25 p.m. PT on Sunday.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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What is the Rams’ plan for Stetson Bennett with Jimmy Garoppolo back?

Jimmy Garoppolo is back from suspension, but will the Rams keep Stetson Bennett as their QB3? They now have the roster space to do it.

Stetson Bennett was named the Rams’ temporary backup quarterback to Matthew Stafford before the team’s third preseason game, filling the spot of Jimmy Garoppolo while he served his two-game suspension. Well, Garoppolo has been reinstated and is back with the Rams, meaning Los Angeles has three quarterbacks to work with now.

The question is whether they want to keep all three on their 53-man roster.

There was no guarantee they’d keep Bennett as their third quarterback but given the rash of injuries they’ve suffered, it’s now easier for the Rams to keep all three passers.

As of now, the Rams have 51 players on the active roster, meaning they have two available spots. Once Garoppolo and Alaric Jackson are activated, they’ll bring the total up to the maximum of 53 players.

They’ll need at least a few spots to help fill out the depth chart on the offensive line, at wide receiver and potentially in the secondary after losing Cooper Kupp, Jonah Jackson and John Johnson III in Sunday’s loss. If the Rams place all three on IR as Sean McVay indicated they could, there would be three available roster spots.

Should be no problem keeping Bennett as the QB3, right?

Had Kupp, Jackson, Johnson, Puka Nacua, Steve Avila and Joe Noteboom not gotten hurt, it wouldn’t have been as simple. That would’ve been six extra players on the 53-man roster that the Rams may not have now. Who would they have cut to make room for Alaric Jackson and Garoppolo when they returned from suspension?

Bennett very easily could’ve been on the chopping block. It’s not typical of the Rams to carry three quarterbacks in the first place, and though Bennett has the pedigree of a former fourth-round pick, he hasn’t exactly shined in Los Angeles. He missed the entire 2023 season for personal reasons as he stepped away from football and this preseason, he threw five interceptions in just two games, tied with Trey Lance for the most in the league.

He didn’t do himself any favors with his play this summer, to the point where McVay said multiple times that the Rams needed to see more from him before deciding whether he could be Stafford’s backup for two weeks.

His job seems safe for now but he may not have been as fortunate if not for the rash of injuries that has decimated the Rams’ roster.

There is one thing worth noting: McVay said on Monday that he thought about putting Bennett in late against the Cardinals but he “didn’t want to put Stetson in a situation where he has never taken some of the snaps and exchanges.”

It sure sounds like he didn’t fully trust Bennett to cleanly take snaps and execute handoffs on the Rams’ final drive, so he decided to leave Stafford in. It’s odd, but that comment doesn’t exude confidence from McVay.

Bennett’s spot shouldn’t be in any danger but once the Rams start getting their stars back from IR down the stretch, they could have a decision to make at QB.

Sean McVay shares what he appreciates about Jimmy Garoppolo

Sean McVay took time to shine attention on what Jimmy Garoppolo has done for the Rams and how they’ve benefitted from his presence,

Oftentimes, the backup quarterback is a forgotten figure in football. A shadow in the open, fans and the media typically do not show love to the backup quarterback but their contributions to the success of the starter and subsequently the team can not be understated.

This sentiment was expressed by Sean McVay when he was asked if anything about Jimmy Garoppolo stood out to him. McVay had this to say about his backup QB.

“I think his consistency is something that I’ve really appreciated,” McVay said. “He’s so locked in. He is a veteran player. I think some of the traits that I’ve always admired from afar, the ability to be able to speed it up, he can make quick decisions, he can get through things quickly. He just has a really nice way about himself. You can see why all of his teammates have enjoyed him. I’m sure when you guys have gotten a chance to talk to him, he’s a great dude. He’s got a lot of experience. He’s used it the right way, but he’s got a refreshing humility about himself, as well, where he can just be one of the guys. I’ve loved being around Jimmy and it’s good to have him back in the building.”

Garoppolo’s suspension expires after Week 2. He will then step into the Rams’ backup role, a role which in the past has garnered him a ton of success. Garoppolo has spent time with the Patriots, 49ers and Raiders throughout his 12-year NFL career. His four playoff wins rank him tied for eighth among active quarterbacks.

Ironically enough, he’s tied with Matthew Stafford and Brock Purdy in that stat category.

No, the Rams shouldn’t trade Jimmy Garoppolo to the Dolphins

Some view Jimmy Garoppolo as an option for the Dolphins after Tua Tagovailoa’s latest concussion, but the Rams shouldn’t trade him

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.

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.

Sean McVay is proud of Stetson Bennett’s progress but still evaluating backup QB spot

Sean McVay must decide if Stetson Bennett has earned the backup QB spot in Weeks 1 and 2, and he’ll take as much time as he needs to make that choice

As the Los Angeles Rams have just one preseason game left, they will have to choose who will back up Matthew Stafford in Weeks 1 and 2 while Jimmy Garoppolo serves his two-game suspension.

Garropolo’s resume says that he is good enough to start and play under any center in the NFL but has struggled throughout camp and is suspended to start the year. Stetson Bennett has been solid throughout camp and is coming off an improved performance in Saturday’s 13-9 win over the Chargers.

On Sunday, Rams coach Sean McVay said he’s still unsure of who will be backing up Stafford to open the season but he will “use all the time that we have” before deciding whether it will be Bennett or someone else.

“What I try to do is take it a little bit at a time. That’s where if you really said, ‘Okay, are you worried about Matthew? If we have to err on the side of caution, it’s going to give us more chances to evaluate Stetson and also Jimmy in some of these practice settings.” Said McVay. “I don’t necessarily have a timeline. I know the latest timeline is as it relates to that, but if (Bennett) continues to progress, you’ll be pleased.”

After being absent from the roster due to personal reasons last season, Bennett has played every preseason snap this year while Stafford and Garroppolo have played none. Fourth-string quarterback Dresser Winn has hasn’t played a snap this preseason, either.

This preseason, Bennett has had one game he’d like to forget and one where he looked better but still committed two turnovers..

In the first game of the preseason against the Cowboys, Bennett went 24-for-38 for 244 yards, one touchdown and a miserable four interceptions. In Saturday’s win over the Chargers, he was better than that dreaded performance the week before, going 17-for-31 with 213 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

“… where he’s come from and the way he has acted, interacted, and responded to all the different things thrown at him. I’ve been proud of Stetson. I really have,” said McVay.

Before his arrival to the Rams last season, he was a two-time college football National Champion with the Georgia Bulldogs, while also being awarded as the National Championship offensive player MVP and was a two-time second-team SEC All-American.

While it’s unknown what the Rams might do at quarterback this season, one thing is for sure and that is Garroppolo will not be on the sideline for the first two games of the season due to his PED suspension.

Garroppolo has had quite a career in the NFL. From winning two Super Bowls with the Patriots as a backup quarterback to Tom Brady to leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl as the starting quarterback in the 2019-20 season where he was just shy of 4,000 yards passing with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Dresser Winn deserves an opportunity amidst Stetson Bennett’s struggles

The Rams should give Dresser Winn a shot after seeing Stetson Bennett throw four picks

With of the featured Rams news of the day being Matthew Stafford leaving practice with a tight hamstring, it’s only fitting to discuss contingency plans should Stafford miss action this season. Now, the news of Stafford’s “injury” has been blown out of proportion. While a hamstring injury does have the potential to linger, there is no doubt in my mind Stafford will be ready to go Week 1 in Detroit.

That is not to say Stafford won’t miss time in the regular season, as we saw last season when he got banged up and would go on to miss a start in a pivotal game against Green Bay. The Rams saw just how important it is to have a backup quarterback capable of operating the offense at a respectable level. The Rams addressed that need in the offseason by signing NFL veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, a rhythm and timing-reliant quarterback whose style fits in perfectly for an offense that is built off rhythm and timing. If Stafford gets banged up again and is forced to miss time for the third consecutive season, Jimmy G will be more than capable of steering the ship.

There is a catch, though. Garoppolo will be unavailable to be the backup quarterback due to a two-game suspension, which leaves Stetson Bennett as the projected Week 1 QB2 for the Rams. The fourth quarterback on the roster, Dresser Winn, is projected to be the Rams’ QB3/emergency quarterback to open the season.

Bennett missed all of last season as he dealt with personal issues, and he returns to the Rams this season as a shoo-in for the QB3/emergency role. With the aforementioned Jimmy G suspension, many projected Bennett would assume the QB2 position for the first two games of the regular season.

However, if you watched the Rams’ opening preseason game, Bennett showed he may not be such a lock after all.

Bennett took all 71 of the Rams offensive snaps against the Cowboys, tossing four horrific interceptions and the eventual game-winning touchdown in route to a 13-12 victory over Dallas. The most concerning parts of Bennett’s interceptions were that he was not under pressure, none of the INTs were a result of tipped or dropped passes, and they all could have been avoided with better decision-making. Simply not good enough to warrant being the QB2 to open the season on an NFL roster. McVay made it clear Bennett is still under evaluation following his performance against Dallas.

The poor showing from Bennett should open the door for Winn to get some game reps this weekend against the Chargers. Winn, who enters his second season, has only appeared in one preseason game in his career. Winn’s lone preseason appearance was short lived, as he went 3-for-5 with 21 yards at the tail end of a 41-0 blowout loss against Denver on August 26th, 2023. Winn was released by the Rams on August 29th, 2023, but went on to earn a couple of stints on the Rams practice squad throughout last season. Obviously, McVay and company see something in Winn to bring him back for another go around, so why not give him a shot to play this weekend?

Bennett has an average of a 57.2% completion percentage in four preseason appearances. Pair that statistic with two passing touchdowns to a whopping seven interceptions, and you’ll come to the conclusion Bennett may not be NFL-caliber. At this point, Bennett has shown the Rams who he is with his play on the field. Los Angeles needs to allow Winn to do the same.

Jimmy Garoppolo won’t play in preseason unless he wants to

Sean McVay doesn’t plan to play Jimmy Garoppolo in the preseason unless the veteran QB asks to play

Sean McVay is notoriously cautious when it comes to his preseason plan. He was one of the first coaches to start the trend of resting starters in the team’s exhibition games, exercising caution rather than putting them at risk of injury before Week 1.

He’ll take that approach with backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this preseason, too. McVay told reporters this week that he doesn’t expect Garoppolo to play in the preseason unless he specifically requests to play because of his two-game suspension.

“As far as Jimmy, I’ll talk to Jimmy,” McVay said. “I would probably say probably not because I think it’s important for Stetson to get a bunch of work and Jimmy’s played a lot in this league. If he said that he thought he wanted to, knowing that he’s going to miss those first couple weeks, I’d be open to it. My inclination right now is that I would not want to play him unless he told me he wanted to.”

Garoppolo was suspended for the first two games of the year due to a PED violation, so he won’t be eligible to suit up until Week 3. He is able to play in the preseason, however, so if the Rams want to play him, they can.

It sounds like McVay would rather give Stetson Bennett an abundance of reps, particularly with Bennett expected to be the No. 2 quarterback while Garoppolo is out.

Raiders team discontent, coaching change last season chronicled on Netflix’s Receiver

By following Davante Adams last season, Netflix’s Receiver managed to capture the frustration of the team that led to a big change midseason.

While a season is in full swing, players usually don’t let on just how frustrated they are. But with the tumultuous 2023 season for the Raiders now firmly in the past, along with many of the causes of that tumult now gone, we can look back and see just how bad it had gotten.

This week, the Netflix series Receiver was released. Among the five receivers featured is Raiders All Pro Davante Adams. And along with that, we get an inside look at just how frustrating things had gotten for Adams and the Raiders under the reign of former head coach Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler.

We start to see the wheels falling off in episode three of of the series. That’s when Adams is getting increasingly frustrated because he has an injured shoulder and believes that, along with the hit that caused the injury, he is getting hit a lot more than he ever was in the first nine years of his career.

Likely making the pain a lot less bearable was the fact that he was not seeing accurate red zone and deep targets. While the offense had yet to crack 20 points in a game.

His frustration comes to a head in episode four of the series. After an ugly loss to the Bears in Week seven he vents his frustrations to the sympathetic ears of his best friend and his barber. While seeming to not care one bit that the entire rant was being filmed.

Davante may catch some flak for saying his benchmark is not wins and losses but rather greatness. After all, we all like for players to say individual performance doesn’t matter at all. That nothing matters but wins and losses. But, for Davante, all he can do is control what he can control. And striving for greatness is doing just that.

Besides, he clarifies that statement by adding that it’s not just about him, but rather it’s two parts to the same equation.

“If it don’t look right and I’m not getting opportunities well then now we got a problem,” said Davante. “That’s what I’m here for…and if I’m not being given the proper amount of opportunities and it looks like dogs–t on offense, it’s time to do something about it.”

In other words, if the offense is working well and he isn’t the focal point, fine. But if the offense is not working AND he’s not getting the ball, then there’s a problem.

He’s not wrong. And in most cases, that mindset is what ultimately decides whether a team wins or loses.

It didn’t take long for the last few words of his statement to become reality. Not a week later the Raiders *did* do something about it.

A bad loss to the Lions brought the frustrations to a head for Adams. Passes from Jimmy Garoppolo were all over the field and he found Adams just once for 11 yards on seven attempts.

Several Lions players were overheard talking about how frustrated Adams must be with his QB and his offense.

The next day, the architects of that offense were fired and the quarterback was benched. Moves Davante said he not only signed off on, but his remaining with the Raiders may have hinged upon it.

Thus began the Antonio Pierce era in Las Vegas, along with a new energy on the Raiders. They won their first game while the offense scored over 20 points (30) for the first time all season. Davante had just four catches for 34 yards, but he was excited the offense functioned properly. And gave the game ball to his new quarterback, Aidan O’Connell.

The new energy the Raiders had after that is something we should see more of as the series continues.