LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Rams backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will start against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18 while Stetson Bennett is the backup, head coach Sean McVay said Wednesday.
Starter Matthew Stafford will be inactive in order to rest before the playoffs.
“What I’ve seen is just a guy (who) has approached it like a pro,” said McVay of Garoppolo’s role as backup all season. The Rams signed him to a one-year deal in free agency this spring. “(He has) been a great teammate. …
“If you said ‘risk/reward’, I think it’s a great opportunity for Jimmy to be able to play (and) also I think it’s an awesome opportunity for Matthew to be able to get rested, rejuvenated and ready for the playoffs.”
Right tackle Rob Havenstein, who missed last week’s game with a shoulder injury suffered in Week 17, will also miss Week 18. McVay said Havenstein is trending positively toward getting back on the field in the postseason.
McVay added that the team is still working through which players will play and who will rest — although because the game plan is built and set on Tuesdays, then adjusted throughout the week, it’s likely this has already been internally decided and is more so a gamesmanship move. McVay gave a good-natured chuckle when he was asked which day the staff expected to finalize inactive players. Wednesday’s practice was a walk-through.
“I think we kind of have an inclination,” he said, “but what I don’t want to do is put the cart before the horse.”
Garoppolo has not played since the middle of the 2023 season, when he was benched while with the Las Vegas Raiders. He suffered a foot injury while with the San Francisco 49ers the previous season and had surgery after signing with the Raiders that spring. He said Wednesday that getting almost a full year of recovery/playing on scout team where he hasn’t taken hits has benefited him.
“It’s exciting, (it’s) about time,” Garoppolo said. “Get out there with the guys and get some real football in! …
“It was a blessing in disguise, and I figured that out after the foot surgery. Getting your foot repaired is a lot different than all of the other injuries I’ve had. That one, it took a little while to get past that. (But) honestly since OTAs I haven’t thought about it. … It’s a really nice feeling, not thinking about feeling pain in certain spots. I’m glad to be back to normal.”
Last season when the Rams rested several starters in Week 18, backup Carson Wentz started against the 49ers and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur called the game. If LaFleur again holds that role on Sunday, he already has familiarity with Garoppolo from their time together in San Francisco.
Matthew Stafford will rest Week 18 in advance of the postseason. (Jayne Kamin / Imagn Images)
“Mike’s been cool, man, we go way back since my first time at Niners — he was one of the guys who kind of taught me that offense (and has been) teaching me this offense,” Garoppolo said. “He’s just good people. Great people, man. I’m really grateful for him. I’m excited to get out there Sunday with him and get in this action.”
There are people within the Rams organization who hoped the team would be positioned in this manner, specifically in order to get a look at what Garoppolo is capable of within the offense.
Stafford restructured his contract after a long, though not acrimonious, offseason dispute and it now is effectively a one-year deal with the understanding that both sides will re-visit his future after this season. In a scenario in which Stafford is no longer a Ram (or he is, and gets injured), the team will need to know whether Garoppolo could be an effective (and cheap) bridge or a reliable backup after struggling to fill the latter role for the last few years.
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(Photo of Jimmy Garoppolo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
