Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has played once against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, the place where his NFL career began.
Yet, Sunday’s game against the Patriots will mark the 11th-year pro’s true homecoming — even if it will be as a backup.
In 2020, Garoppolo led the San Francisco 49ers to victory over the Patriots. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, however, the stadium was empty.
“I can remember one of the first third downs, I rushed for the first down and yelled — and I heard an echo of my voice,” Garoppolo said. “It wasn’t as climactic as I was hoping for.”
So Garoppolo, Matthew Stafford’s backup, is excited about returning with the Rams.
“It will be cool seeing the whole crowd and everything, cool seeing the stadium be packed out,” he said. “There’s a lot of good people there.”
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Does Garoppolo expect a warm reception?
“I love the fans — I loved how passionate they were,” Garoppolo said. “They were very straightforward, which was one thing I really appreciated about them.
“You did bad, and they were going to let you know you did bad. And when you did good, they would let you know. But that’s what makes a good sports town, I think.
“So we’ll see, hopefully it’s all good and everything, but they booed Tom Brady when he came back, so you never know.”
The Patriots selected Garoppolo in the second round of the 2014 draft, and he was soon dubbed “Jimmy G.”
“The North End of Boston is a big Italian area, so they loved the Garoppolo name,” he said. “As soon as I got there, I remember going to a couple Italian restaurants and they just treated us like family. It was awesome.”
In October 2017, the Patriots traded Garoppolo to the 49ers. Garoppolo played six seasons for the 49ers, leading them to the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.
He played for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023 before the Rams signed him to a one-year contract last March.
Stafford, 36, has played every snap, but Rams coach Sean McVay said Garoppolo, 33, has been a valuable addition. He gives the defense a “phenomenal” look while running the scout team.
“He’s been a key factor in a lot of the [defense’s] improvement, where he’s really pushing them and making throws that not a lot of people in the world can make in the timing and rhythm that he’s able to do that,” McVay said.
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Cornerback Cobie Durant and safety Kam Curl agree.
“He’s played in this league for a minute,” Durant said. “He’s played in a Super Bowl. It’s a win for us as a defense.”
Said Curl: “We’re basically going against a starter every day in practice. … It’s not like we’re going through the motions with the scout team.”
McVay also noted Garoppolo’s work with quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone.
“He’ll be ready, God forbid, if something were to happen to Matthew,” McVay said, “but he’s also allowing himself to get better in the absence of some of these game reps because of the way that he approaches practice on a weekly basis.”
Garoppolo said he knew what he was getting into when he signed with the Rams. Stafford has been “awesome” to work with, he said.
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“Playing behind a guy like that, I think, makes it a whole lot easier because you see what he does, you see the work he puts in, and you gain a little information from him,” Garoppolo said. “So that definitely makes it easier.
“But I’m still going out, trying to get my work in. And the scout team — there’s a blessing in disguise underneath all of this. You’ve just got to find a silver lining in everything.”
After the season, Garoppolo is expected to explore other opportunities where he can once again start.
“The next step? Yeah, we’ll take that as it comes,” he said. “But I’m enjoying my time while I’m here right now.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
