Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo last started an NFL game in October 2023.
On Sunday, the 11th-year pro will start in place of Matthew Stafford for the playoff-bound Rams in the season finale against the Seattle Seahawks at SoFi Stadium, coach Sean McVay said Wednesday.
The Rams clinched the NFC West title and the NFL’s power-of-victory tiebreaker last weekend, so they will be either the No. 3 seed or the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs. That was enough to convince McVay to leave Stafford alone against the Seahawks and keep the 16th-year pro out of harm’s way.
“It’s a great opportunity for Jimmy to be able to play,” McVay said. “I also think it’s a great opportunity for Matthew to rest and rejuvenate and be ready for the playoffs.”
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Garoppolo is looking forward to his opportunity.
“It took a long time,” he said after a walkthrough.
Stetson Bennett will be Garoppolo’s backup, McVay said, so Stafford will be inactive.
Right tackle Rob Havenstein will also be sidelined for the second straight season due to a shoulder injury. But McVay said he has not determined whether other starters will sit out.
However, it seems likely that running back Kyren Williams and receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, among others, will not play.
The Rams are currently the No. 3 seed, putting them on track for a wild card matchup at SoFi Stadium against the Washington Commanders or Green Bay Packers. But a loss for the Seahawks and a win for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, the Buccaneers would move to No. 3 and drop the Rams to No. 4, pitting them against the Detroit Lions or Minnesota Vikings at SoFi Stadium.
McVay said seeding scenarios would only influence his decision on how to approach a final if a chance for a bye was on the line. In 2018, McVay played starters in the final game against the 49ers and the Rams earned the No. 2 seed, earning a bye at the time.
“If you finally say, ‘Do the three or four seeds really matter?’ That’s not the case, McVay said of his team’s current situation, because you know you’re going to play an excellent team no matter who finishes five, six or seven.
Garoppolo, 33, signed with the Rams in March. According to Overthecap.com, he is playing on a one-year contract worth $3.2 million.
Garoppolo has primarily served as a scout team quarterback, giving the defense a chance to prepare for a quarterback who has 94 career touchdown passes.
“What I’ve seen is just a guy who’s approached it like a professional,” McVay said, adding, “He’s really been a big part of the growth you’ve seen from our defense.”
Stafford, 36, has played every snap for a Rams team that started 1-4 but has won nine of its last 11 games.
Stafford, who is 191 yards shy of reaching 60,000 career yards, has two years left on a contract that was restructured before this season, with a $5 million advance starting in 2025, according to overthecap.com.
Does McVay view Garoppolo’s start as an audition if Stafford wasn’t back with the Rams next season?
“No,” McVay said. “I see it as a great opportunity for Jimmy.”
That includes Garoppolo, who has a 43-20 record in games he started over three seasons with the New England Patriots, six with the San Francisco 49ers and one with the Las Vegas Raiders.
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“Every time you step on the grass live, that’s your resume — that’s the life we live,” Garoppolo said. “Everyone in the league sees what you do there. They’re going to destroy that tape, good, bad, indifferent.
“That’s how I’ve always approached it. That will be no different this week.”
Garoppolo last started for the Raiders 15 months ago in a 26-14 loss to the Lions. He completed 10 of 21 passes for 126 yards, with an interception.
Last season, with a playoff spot wrapped up going into the final game, McVay sat at Stafford and started Carson Wentz, who led the Rams to a victory over the 49ers.
McVay ceded the play-calling to offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur in that game, and he’ll likely do the same on Sunday. LaFleur was part of the 49ers staff when Garoppolo was traded to the 49ers in 2017.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
