Jimmy Garoppolo ‘messed up’ exemption; Rams ‘seemed right’،
LOS ANGELES — Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said Tuesday that his two-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances was because he “missed” the exemption from therapeutic use upon his arrival in Las Vegas.
The violation was related to the quarterback using a prescribed drug without having a valid therapeutic use exemption from the league, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter last month.
Garoppolo said he's never “been in this situation before” but plans to “attack the OTAs, attack training camp and let these first two games go by.” He can participate in all offseason activities and training camp with the Rams, but cannot be present at the facilities for two weeks once the regular season begins.
“Hopefully we'll do some doubling and start 2-0 and get things going,” Garoppolo said. “But it's just one of those situations. It is what it is. You have to deal with it and keep moving forward and stay positive.”
Garoppolo signed with the Rams as Matthew Stafford's replacement after being released by the Las Vegas Raiders at the start of the new league year. The quarterback, who signed a three-year, $72.75 million contract with the Raiders last offseason, completed 65.1 percent of his passes in 2023 for 1,205 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions in seven matches.
Garoppolo said he had “several different options” in free agency, but talking to Rams coach Sean McVay “really sealed the deal” on his decision to sign with Los Angeles. Garoppolo called McVay “a very insightful guy” with a vision for his role with the Rams.
“Obviously, good players all around,” Garoppolo said. “That's a big part of it. Talking to Sean on the phone, he was walking me through the offense and the things he had in mind, it really got mouth-watering. And I know a lot of the coaches here, so a lot of familiarity with “
Garoppolo spent six seasons with the division rival San Francisco 49ers and is 8-0 against the Rams during his career.
“After playing against them for so many years, I knew how good that defense was, how … the offense could score points,” Garoppolo said. It was a good situation, man. That was a big part of my decision. I just wanted to find a good situation, good people around. And I think I found it here.”
Having an experienced, high draft pick as a backup quarterback is nothing new for the Rams, as they signed Baker Mayfield on waivers in December 2022 and signed Carson Wentz midway through the 2023 season. Garoppolo said that he had seen from afar what Mayfield had done under McVay and how it led to a career resurgence with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“What Baker did, it was amazing, amazing,” Garoppolo said. “And so Sean is a phenomenal offensive mind. And a lot of guys here are, I think that's played a big role in reinventing – whatever you want to call it – a quarterback.
“Having good people around you, not everything is going to be done by you. You have to have people around you to put you in a good position, call the right plays, all those little things. And yeah, I've seen this opportunity and I was excited. It seemed right.”
