SerpApi.Org
When training camp ramps up, NFL players on the edge of retirement start getting that itch again.
This time, it’s former Super Bowl quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who led the 49ers that far in the 2019 season. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported on “The Insiders” that a return for Garoppolo is on the radar.
“Jimmy Garoppolo considered retirement this spring but is very much open to playing this season in the right situation,” Garafolo wrote via X. “Nothing imminent but he’s an experienced, veteran QB available for a team that might need one in the near future.”
Quarterback needs coming up for teams in playoff contention are inevitable, and Garoppolo may have something left. He hardly played at all in 2025 with three game appearances for the Los Angeles Rams as a backup.
Garoppolo’s last serous action came in 2024 when he had one start for the Rams. He completed 27-41 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns versus an interception. That’s serviceable for a backup quarterback, and numerous teams in need of a strong backup could justify taking on Garoppolo if he does come back for another season.
He’s 34 years old, so he isn’t ancient by NFL quarterback standards. After all, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco are still playing in their 40s, and Garoppolo’s early-career former teammate Tom Brady pushed it to 45. Garoppolo backed up Brady with the New England Patriots from 2014 to 2016.
Garoppolo could also get a shot at a redemption story since his time in San Francisco and then the Las Vegas Raiders didn’t end well. The Niners moved on from Garoppolo for former No. 3 pick Trey Lance in 2021 and only kept the former Eastern Illinois star around as a backup in 2022.
In Las Vegas, the 2023 season went south for Garoppolo as he got benched for Aiden O’Connell and faced suspension for NFL PED policy violations. Garoppolo has quietly been a backup to Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles for the past two seasons, and working under head coach Sean McVay could only help Garoppolo get back on track.
Time will tell if a quarterback-needy team finds out if that truly happened for Garoppolo.
Related Articles
