Rams OC shares how Jimmy G’s 49ers knowledge could help LA originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur believes having Jimmy Garoppolo in the locker room will benefit Los Angeles as the team prepares to face the 49ers on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday ahead of the Week 3 divisional showdown at SoFi Stadium, LaFleur was asked how having the ex-San Francisco quarterback will be helpful.
“Probably more so between Jimmy and Matthew [Stafford] maybe even just in the locker room in general,” LaFleur told reporters. “Anytime you got a little more information when you’ve been in the locker room and had the success that Jimmy has had in that locker room, I’m sure that there are a few things that I’m not getting told and things like that. But just having Jimmy back right now has been great and it’s a benefit.”
Even though Garoppolo hasn’t been with the 49ers in 18 months, he still possesses knowledge about San Francisco’s scheme that might be of use to Los Angeles.
Garoppolo was the starting quarterback in San Francisco for six seasons, leading the team to Super Bowl LIV. While he was benched for Trey Lance at the start of the 2022 NFL season, he regained the starting role after Lance went down with a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.
After he sustained a foot injury in Week 13 of that season, Brock Purdy stepped into the starting role and relegated Garoppolo to the bench.
After spending last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, Garoppolo was released and signed with the Rams last March. This will be the first time the 32-year-old suits up for Los Angeles as he was suspended for the first two games of the NFL season for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
LaFleur has his own history with the 49ers, having spent four seasons from 2017-2020 with the franchise as its passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
Both the Rams and 49ers are reeling from injuries to their star players, with San Francisco missing Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel while Los Angeles will be without the receiving tandem of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.
As has been the case since SoFi Stadium opened in 2020, the 49ers Faithful will be out in droves, with a projected 62 percent of fans expected to be rocking the red and gold. Expect a mixed reaction if Garoppolo takes the field given his polarizing tenure in San Francisco.
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