Former 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is enjoying his new stint with the Los Angeles Rams.
The 10-year NFL veteran feels as comfortable as ever with a franchise that he believes to be more empowering than most.
In an exclusive interview with The Athletic’s Jeff Howe published Monday, Garoppolo explained what stands out about suiting up for Los Angeles compared to his stints with the New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco.
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“This place allows you to be yourself, too, which is different than other places I’ve been,” Garoppolo told Howe. “You’re getting pressed with a sense of urgency but in a good way. 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.”
While he never mentions any specific teams, Garoppolo hints at the Patriots, 49ers and Raiders as organizations that prevented him from reaching his potential pleasure.
However, the 32-year-old hasn't quite panned out as the star player he was supposed to be after spending 3 1/2 seasons as Tom Brady’s backup, despite making $148.7 million throughout his NFL career.
San Francisco 49ers
In March, the Raiders released Garoppolo after he was suspended for the first two games of the 2024 NFL season due to a PED violation. He signed a one-year contract with the Rams days later.
Anyone who followed Las Vegas’ previous season or star wide receiver DaVante Adams in the Netflix “Quarterback” series knows Garoppolo wasn’t in the Raiders’ future, anyway.
And as the Faithful are well aware, Garoppolo wasn't able to get over the championship hump in 5 1/2 years with San Francisco. Instead, he’ll be remembered for almost landing a spot among 49ers greats such as Joe Montana and Steve Young after coming up just short in Super Bowl LIV.
Now, he's the backup to Matthew Stafford -- back to his first role in the league. Garoppolo feels secure in Los Angeles, believing he needed to feel that way more than ever after experiencing such a roller-coaster NFL journey.
“It was chaotic at times, but they’re all learning experiences,” Garoppolo told Howe. “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.”