Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is returning to the state of California as the backup quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams. But he’s going to miss a few games due to a violation of the NFL’s performance enhancing substances policy.
Speaking to the media this week, Garoppolo explained that the two-game suspension he received was because he “messed up” the league’s therapeutic use exemption for prescription medication while he was with the Las Vegas Raiders. The league reportedly issued the suspension because he used a prescribed medication without having a valid therapeutic use exemption from the league.
Garoppolo expressed hope that the Rams will be able to win their first few games without needing him and plans to move forward while staying positive.
“Hopefully we’ll get some dubs and start off 2-0 and keep things moving,” Garoppolo said, via ESPN. “But it’s just one of those situations. It is what it is. You got to deal with it and just keep moving on and stay positive.”
After beginning the 2023 season as the starting quarterback in Las Vegas, Garoppolo played himself out of the job and could not sign on anywhere as the starter. He now heads to the Rams, where he is the designated backup to Matthew Stafford and has a chance to revitalize his career under one of the league’s foremost developers of QB talent in Sean McVay.
Two weeks likely won’t make much of a difference for his career overall, but a suspension that early in his tenure certainly won’t do him any favors.