Talks Between Cardinals, Jimmy Garoppolo ‘Hit A Snag’

Then preparing to end the Kyler Murray era, the Cardinals reportedly entered free agency eyeing veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The sides did engage in discussions, but their talks “hit a snag,” according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

Garoppolo remains unsigned late in the first week of free agency, but the Cardinals moved on to another on-again, off-again starting option. After their pursuit of Garoppolo did not go as planned, the Cardinals picked up journeyman Gardner Minshew on a one-year, $8.25MM deal on Monday. Between Minshew and Jacoby Brissett, the Cardinals have two experienced candidates to win their starting job. They officially released Murray on Wednesday, leading him to Minnesota.

Had the 34-year-old Garoppolo gone to Arizona, he would have reunited with general manager Monti Ossenfort and rookie head coach Mike LaFleur. When the Patriots spent a second-round pick on Garoppolo in 2014, Ossenfort was their director of college scouting. The two overlapped in New England until the team traded Garoppolo to the 49ers for a second-rounder in 2017.

Garoppolo spent six seasons in San Francisco, and LaFleur was its passing-game coordinator for four of those years. The pair worked together again with the Rams over the past two seasons. Garoppolo was the Rams’ backup to Matthew Stafford, while LaFleur served as a non-play-calling offensive coordinator.

Twelve years into his career, it is fair to say Garoppolo enjoyed his greatest success teaming with LaFleur and head coach Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. Over 55 regular-season starts with the 49ers, Garoppolo helped the team to a 38-17 mark while registering a 99.2 passer rating. In his best season, 2019, Garoppolo completed 69.1% of passes and threw for 3,978 yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The 49ers went 13-3 in the regular season and won the NFC, but the Chiefs upended them, 31-20, in Super Bowl LIV.

Garoppolo remained the 49ers’ starter until he broke his foot in December 2022, paving the way for Brock Purdy to usurp the job. Between the end of his 49ers stint and his time with the Rams, Garoppolo endured a bitterly disappointing year with the Raiders. After signing a three-year, $67.5MM contract with Las Vegas in 2023, Garoppolo made just seven mostly lackluster starts with the team. The Raiders benched Garoppolo, who later incurred a PED suspension, and released him a few months later.

While Garoppolo has attempted just 41 passes since the Raiders cut him, the Rams are interested in re-signing him. For now, the untested Stetson Bennett is the only signal-caller on their roster behind Stafford.