Jimmy Garoppolo is on his fourth team and says this one stands apart from the others. The former second-round pick joined the Los Angeles Rams this offseason after he was released by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Garoppolo has spent some time with the team and says it's a place he's comfortable and feels he can thrive. When he landed in L.A., he said quarterback Matthew Stafford and head coach Sean McVay were two big factors on why he wanted to be a Ram and months later, he still believes it's the best place for him.
"This place allows you to be yourself, too, which is different than other places I've been," Garoppolo said, via the Athletic.
Whether he meant to or not, the comment was a dig at his former teams. The veteran also played for the New England Patriots under head coach Bill Belichick, played for Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers and was most recently with the Raiders with Josh McDaniels, then Antonio Pierce.
Describing the differences between the Rams and his former teams, Garoppolo pointed out that the meetings are fun and they do things the "right way."
"You're getting pressed with a sense of urgency but in a good way," Garoppolo said. "Obviously, everyone wants to win. Everyone wants to perform well. They do it in the right way here. They push you positively. There's just a lot of good things going on, man. I'm enjoying every bit of it. Even the meetings are a good time. Everything is going good right now."
The 32-year-old commented on the highs and lows of his career, saying he's been able to benefit from some of the struggles. Heading into 2024, his plan is to move forward, rather than look in his rear view.
"It was chaotic at times, but they're all learning experiences," Garoppolo said. "That's one thing I've taken from this. The NFL is crazy, man. Everyone has got a story. Everyone is going whichever way trying to make it. But at the end of the day, it's your story, and you've got to make the best of it. Good, bad, or indifferent, whatever happened in the past, it happened. ... Now I'm here, and I'm just trying to make every day the best day."
Garoppolo was suspended for two games for violating the NFL performance-enhancing substance policy, so he will miss the Rams first two games, against the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals. He will be back as the assumed backup for Week 3 when the Rams face his former team, the 49ers.
