How’s this for an NFC West storyline? Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Sunday morning that had the San Francisco 49ers released Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, as many expected them to after failing to find a trade partner, the Los Angeles Rams would’ve been in the mix to sign him.
Schefter wrote that “Garoppolo and the Rams had the makings of a deal if he was released by the Niners,” adding that the 49ers had no idea the Rams were looking into signing Garoppolo. After Garoppolo agreed to a restructured contract to stay in San Francisco, the 49ers learned that the Rams were a possible destination for the veteran quarterback had he been released.
This raises a couple of questions for the Rams. For starters, is there legitimate concern in Los Angeles about Matthew Stafford’s elbow injury? The Rams have never prioritized the backup quarterback position, only keeping two undrafted free agents – John Wolford and Bryce Perkins – behind Stafford the last two years.
Secondly, their reported interest in Garoppolo suggests they don’t have a ton of confidence in Wolford and Perkins. Wolford will be a free agent after this season and may not be the long-term answer at QB2, and that certainly seems to be the case with them showing interest in Jimmy G.
It’s smart to have a quality backup, which Garoppolo is, behind a starter who’s dealt with as many injuries as Stafford has. It’s just surprising they would’ve paid up to sign a backup who would’ve commanded a deal as large as Garoppolo would’ve.
