Jimmy Garoppolo hints his 49ers knowledge played role in joining Rams

Jimmy Garoppolo subtly admitted that his 49ers inside knowledge played a role in joining the Rams in free agency.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is back in the NFC West, signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams where he'll back up LA's starter, Matthew Stafford.

Garoppolo's one-year stint with the Las Vegas Raiders was disastrous. Amid notable underperformance and team-wide dysfunction under now-fired head coach Josh McDaniels, Garoppolo found himself benched halfway through the year and subsequently released just one season into the three-year deal he originally signed with the silver and black.

On top of that, his tenure in Vegas is now stained by a PED violation that'll result in a two-game suspension with his new team.

The Niners have to be happy they finally moved on from Garoppolo after years of trying to upgrade over him.

But it's that familiarity that played a role in Jimmy G's decision to head to Southern California with an opportunity to play San Francisco twice a year.

Jimmy Garoppolo on joining Rams: 'I know the language'

Garoppolo had an introductory call with Los Angeles and pointed out a few key tidbits about his decision to play underneath head coach Sean McVay, a disciple of the 49ers' own head coach, Kyle Shanahan.

"They were straight to the point, very professional, which I appreciated, and there's no messing around," Garoppolo said on the call, shared on the Rams website. "Excited to be here. It's going to be fun."

Jimmy G also stressed familiarity with a number of Los Angeles' coaches, including offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who was once on Shanahan's staff in San Francisco.

McVay and Shanahan operate a similar offense, and it's Garoppolo's experience with the 49ers -- a term that lasted from 2017 through 2022 -- that also played a role in going to LA.

"There's a bunch of different connections there," Garoppolo added. "But really it's just going to make the process of relearning this offense a little easier I think. I know the language. I could speak the language, have to refresh the memory a little bit, but having those guys to lean on, I think will really do me well."

Perhaps this suggests a competitive advantage. In a way, it does. But it's also a double-edged sword, as the Niners also know Garoppolo's strengths, weaknesses and tendencies.

Last year, Shanahan pointed out that offenses change on a yearly basis, though, and coaches can "can see the plays on tape." That probably matters more to a competitive advantage rather than any one former quarterback's insight.

Although the Rams will likely try tapping into Garoppolo's know-how regardless to see if it'll help them against San Francisco.

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