Jimmy Garoppolo lands with LA Rams as a BACKUP after getting cut by Raiders following his two-game PED ban: QB signed $73 million deal with Las Vegas before going 3-3 in 2023

Jimmy Garoppolo has a new home, or at least he will when he serves his two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

The former Las Vegas Raiders signal-caller signed with the Los Angeles Rams as a backup to Matthew Stafford.

Garoppolo was released Wednesday by the Las Vegas Raiders after a disappointing season. He is best known to Rams fans for his years with the archrival San Francisco 49ers from 2017 to 2022, during which he went 8-0 as a starter against Los Angeles in the regular season.

Rams coach Sean McVay has spoken admiringly of Garoppolo, 32, for years, and now the veteran quarterback will be Stafford’s primary backup. The Super Bowl-winning star returns for his 16th NFL season after a solid bounce-back performance in 2023.

Garoppolo made six starts last season for the Raiders before being benched midseason. He threw nine interceptions and seven touchdown passes in the first season of his three-year, $72.75 million contract, but new coach Antonio Pierce moved on from Garoppolo after taking over.

Garoppolo also received a two-game suspension from the NFL last month for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, meaning he won’t be available to play for the Rams until Week 3.

Garoppolo had his best years in San Francisco with Kyle Shanahan, McVay’s good friend and former coworker. Although never an elite starter, Garoppolo racked up 13,599 passing yards with 82 touchdowns and 42 interceptions during his six seasons under Shanahan, making 55 starts for the Niners.

Garoppolo’s only loss to the Rams as a starter was in the NFC championship game in January 2021.

He is the most successful quarterback signed as a backup during McVay’s seven-year tenure with the Rams, who has generally opted to go with younger, unproven players behind Jared Goff and Stafford, sometimes to save money.

The Rams started last year with rookie Stetson Bennett as Stafford’s backup, but the two-time college national champion left the team for undisclosed reasons before the regular season and never returned.

Brett Rypien struggled for a game and a half as Stafford’s replacement while the star was injured, and Los Angeles signed Carson Wentz at the end of the season. Wentz performed well in his only major appearance for Los Angeles in Week 18, beating the 49ers as both teams rested key players for the postseason.

The Rams also struggled with unfinished backups while Stafford was injured in 2022 before signing Baker Mayfield for the final five games. Mayfield parlayed his encouraging period under McVay into a successful new start with Tampa Bay last season.

Safety Kamren Curl also agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Rams on Friday.

Curl’s deal is worth $8.75 million and could be worth up to $12.75 million. He spent his first four NFL seasons with the Washington Commanders and quickly became a key component of their defense, earning a starting job midway through his rookie season.

Curl played both safety spots and frequently assumed linebacker responsibilities in the Commanders’ defensive scheme. He had a career-high 115 tackles last season.

He could be the replacement for Jordan Fuller, who signs with Carolina as a free agent after starting all 17 games for the Rams last season. John Johnson, who is a free agent, and Russ Yeast started at the other safety spot last year.

Fuller has been a starter whenever he was healthy in his four seasons with Los Angeles, but an ankle injury sidelined him for the entire postseason two years ago, including the Rams’ Super Bowl victory in February 2022. Then, Fuller missed most of the 2022 season with a hamstring injury before returning last season.

Curl joins a defense that already added cornerback Darious Williams in free agency as it looks to replenish a secondary that was arguably its weakest point last season. The defense must also deal with the loss of star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who announced his retirement on Friday.

The defense will also have a new coordinator, with Chris Shula replacing Raheem Morris.