Jimmy Garoppolo, a new signing by the Rams, will be their backup quarterback.
There’s an alternate scenario where he’s still the starting quarterback for the 49ers, so please hold your laughter.
It’s difficult to recall how many people believed, only a few years ago, that the 49ers were nuts for seeking to replace Garoppolo.
He was the highest paid player in the league and their franchise quarterback at one point. After suffering an injury, Garoppolo became an experienced stop gap player, although he was still a starter.
The 49ers then traded up for Trey Lance. Lance eventually took over as the starter, but in Week 2, he suffered a broken ankle, and all of a sudden, Garoppolo returned.
And he performed well enough that the 49ers thought about re-signing him to start at the position.
Early on December 4, 2022, Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network said that Garoppolo and the 49ers were amenable to a reunion in 2023.
When the 49ers faced the Dolphins later that day, Jimmy Garoppolo fractured his foot.
Brock Purdy, who came in for him, was fantastic, and the rest is history.
In another universe, Garoppolo’s foot injury that day never happened.
Rather, he led the 49ers to the postseason and inked a contract extension with the team during the offseason, but the team never realized what a valuable asset Purdy was.
What a nightmare. Looking back, the Garoppolo Era appears to have been a strange dream. Despite having a distinctly limited skill set, he was among the NFL’s most successful quarterbacks for a few years. He is currently a backup quarterback who isn’t even trying to earn a starting position. Just thirty-two years old, he holds a clipboard professionally.
