This far into free agency, teams either have a good idea of who their starting quarterback will be this season or they’re waiting to see how the draft plays out. This has led to some proven free agent veterans sitting around in free agency.
One of the biggest-name quarterbacks available in free agency is Jimmy Garoppolo. He last started games for the Las Vegas Raiders and spent last season as the backup for the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams want to bring him back to back up Matthew Stafford, but there may be a twist. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Garoppolo might be done playing football.
“Rams free agent QB Jimmy Garoppolo, considered their top option as backup QB, is considering retirement, sources say,” Rapoport wrote on X.
“Jimmy G, who has started 64 games during a 12-year career, has made over $156M in all. He is 34 and is mulling a final decision.”
The last time Garoppolo was a starter was with the Raiders in 2023. He started six games before getting benched in favor of Aidan O’Connell. He’s been able to step back the last couple of seasons and get his body right, but it sounds like the desire to play may no longer be there.
Will Garoppolo Actually Retire?
It shouldn’t be a big surprise that Garoppolo would consider retirement. He’s dealt with a lot of injuries over his career. Though being a backup isn’t as physically demanding, it’s also difficult to go from being a starter in a Super Bowl to being a backup.
That said, he can still make good money playing behind Stafford. It’s possible that he’s floating this story out there as a negotiation tactic. Perhaps the Rams aren’t willing to pay him what he thinks he deserves.
He might also just genuinely be done with football. As Rapoport noted, he’s made a lot of money in his career. It’s unlikely he’ll make a final decision before the draft. He can also slow-pay things and reevaluate before the start of training camp.
Raiders Hoping to Add QB of the Future
Garoppolo was just one of the Raiders’ recent swings at starting quarterback. The team has tried to build around veterans in recent years, and it has been a disaster.
Kirk Cousins was signed this offseason, but he’s at most a stopgap option. The real headline this year should be rookie Fernando Mendoza. He’s expected to be the Raiders’ choice with the No. 1 pick.
It remains to be seen if he’ll start immediately, but the hope is that he’ll be the starting quarterback for a long time to come. There’s been debate about how good a prospect Mendoza is. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler likes Mendoza, but thinks his ceiling is pretty low.
“Mendoza will need to prove himself with more full-field reads in the NFL, but his intuition, throwing accuracy and play confidence are superpowers and will smooth his transition to the next level,” Brugler said. “He projects as a mid-level NFL starter and a more mobile version of Bernie Kosar.”
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