Jimmy Garoppolo is mulling his backup plan.
The quarterback, who has spent the last two seasons as the Rams’ No. 2 behind Matthew Stafford, is considering retirement, per NFL Network.
Despite the revelation, Garoppolo remains the top free agent on the market for teams seeking a veteran — especially one with big-game experience.
If it is the end for the 34-year-old, it caps a long, strange career that began as a second-round pick and supposed heir apparent to Tom Brady with the Patriots in 2014.
Brady’s longevity, however, changed New England’s plans for its QB transition, with Garoppolo shipped to the 49ers ahead of the 2017 season, where things never really went according to plan for either side over six years.
He entered the 2018 season as the starter with a then-record five-year, $137.5 million deal, but inconsistent play, injuries and occasional off-the-field missteps marred a tenure that included a run to the Super Bowl in 2019.
Garoppolo eventually became the odd man out in the three-QB race with Trey Lance and Brock Purdy, but his high salary complicated potential trades.
He would land a three-year, $67.5 million free-agent deal with the Raiders that saw him lose the starting job just eight weeks into the 2023 season and led to his release ahead of the 2024 season — for which he was suspended the first two games for a PED ban.
That landed him in Los Angeles and behind Stafford — where he’s appeared in four games over two seasons, posted 334 passing yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
Over 12 NFL seasons, the Arlington Heights, Illinois native racked up 15,828 yards with a completion percentage of 67.4, 96 touchdowns and 52 interceptions with a 43-21 overall record.
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