LOS ANGELES — As uncertainty still lingers around the status of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford – who was absent from Tuesday’s practice as he recovers from an aggravated disc in his back – backup Jimmy Garoppolo is quietly as comfortable in the Rams’ system as he’s ever been.
In his second training camp with the team, the 12-year veteran has gotten every rep with the first-team offense in practices and is feeling the results of that progress.
“I’m pretty happy with it. Obviously looking to improve things here and there, little detail things, but being in the second year helps speed the process up,” Garoppolo said. “Just knowing the basis of the offense, things like that. It allows you to play faster.”
After signing with the Rams last spring, Garoppolo spent all of 2024 working with the second-team offense. Even when he started in the regular-season finale after the Rams had already clinched the NFC West title, Garoppolo wasn’t working with a full allotment of starters as key players rested for the playoffs.
But he’s benefitted this camp from time spent with the starting offensive line and skill players like Puka Nacua and old Las Vegas Raiders teammate Davante Adams. Which led to an excited reply when asked if those reps make him feel more ready this season if he has to start a meaningful game in Stafford’s place.
“Oh, hell yeah,” Garoppolo said. “Just getting the timing with the O-line, cadence stuff, silent count. It’s those intricate details that kind of get – from the outside perspective, you’re like, it’s just a snap count. But when I’ve gotten reps with Coleman Shelton, it makes such a difference Day One to whatever day we’re on now. And same with the receivers. Been getting on the same page with them. Each one of them is their own unique weapon. So kind of learning those guys, so I feel like we’ve come a long way since the first day of training camp.”
He’s learned on his 12 years of experience to shape his approach to camp. He tries to focus on one or two areas of his game per day. If the practice script is run-heavy, for instance, he can focus on details related to play action.
By making each day its own entity, he tries to make the entirety of camp feel a little shorter.
When joint practice rolled around last week against the Dallas Cowboys, Garoppolo was able to put together everything he had been working on. He said he approached that day like a game, and he had the Rams’ offense moving easily. He even got in a couple of highlight touchdown throws to Nacua and Adams.
“We went in with a great mindset against the Cowboys,” Garoppolo said. “I love joint practices, honestly. It’s fun going against our guys, don’t get me wrong, but it just gets repetitive after so many times; they know our plays, we know their coverages. So when you get to go do it against [another team], new fans, just a new feel in the air. That was really fun.”
It isn’t lost on the Rams, the luxury of having a backup quarterback with as many years of starting experience as Garoppolo. In 2022 and 2023, the organization paid the price for a lack of preparedness in that department when Stafford missed games with injury.
“He’s got a great demeanor in the huddle. He has the ability to be able to run our offense. Now we’re still able to evaluate the other 10 around him,” head coach Sean McVay said. “We’re able to continue on with the installations where that hasn’t always been the case with us if we needed to be smart and rest Matthew.”
When Stafford returns to practice remains uncertain. He was scheduled to do individual drills on Monday, then was quickly scratched after experiencing increased soreness in his back after a Saturday workout. McVay said Monday that the Rams will continue to exercise caution when it comes to Stafford’s health.
Which means Garoppolo can’t be sure what job he will be asked to fill in come Week 1 against the Houston Texans on Sept. 7 at SoFi Stadium. But that’s life as a backup quarterback.
“I knew what I signed up for,” Garoppolo said. “Matthew’s older than me, so when you get older you deal with things. Hoping for the best for him, but that’s just part of the job. You gotta be ready to roll.”