Jimmy Garoppolo explains why he signed with 49ers' division rival

Jimmy Garoppolo is back in the NFC West after signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback recently explained his decision to join the division rival after a one-season stint with the Las Vegas Raiders.

"Obviously good players all around," Garoppolo said, per ESPN. "That's a big part of it. Talking to [head coach] Sean [McVay] on the phone, him just running me through offense and things that he had in mind, it really became appetizing. And I know a lot of the coaches here, so a lot of familiarity in that aspect. And then having played against the Rams a lot in my career, I've seen a lot of good things from L.A."

Having faced the Rams twice each regular season during his tenure with the 49ers, Garoppolo developed a deep understanding of the Southern California team.

Set to serve as Matthew Stafford's backup, Garoppolo won't be allowed to suit up until Week 3. The NFL suspended the quarterback for two games due to a violation of the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

"Hopefully, we'll get some dubs and start off 2-0 and keep things moving," Garoppolo said. "But it's just one of those situations. It is what it is. You got to deal with it and just keep moving on and stay positive."

San Francisco traded for Garoppolo during the 2017 season. He served as Trey Lance's backup in 2022 before an injury to Lance thrust him back into the starting lineup. Following his own injury setback, Garoppolo entered free agency and joined the Raiders.

In just seven game appearances last season, Garoppolo completed 110 of 169 attempts (65.1 percent) for 1,205 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Meanwhile, Brock Purdy has assumed the role of the 49ers' starting quarterback since taking over for the injured Garoppolo in 2022. He earned an MVP nomination last season and broke the franchise record for the most single-season passing yards with 4,280.