James "Jimmy G" Garoppolo is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football at Eastern Illinois, setting school records and winning the Walter Payton Award. Drafted by the New England Patriots in 2014, he served as Tom Brady's backup for four seasons, winning two Super Bowls.
November 2, 1991: Birth of Jimmy Garoppolo
James Richard Garoppolo, nicknamed "Jimmy G", was born on November 2, 1991. He would go on to become an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL.
1993: Drew Bledsoe Drafted First Overall by Patriots
In 1993, Drew Bledsoe was picked first overall by the New England Patriots, marking the highest-drafted quarterback for the team until Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014.
2004: Ben Roethlisberger's 7-0 Record
In 2004, Ben Roethlisberger achieved a 7-0 record in his first seven starts, a feat later matched by Jimmy Garoppolo in 2017.
2010: Started College Football Career
In 2010, Jimmy Garoppolo started his college football career with the Eastern Illinois Panthers, passing for 1,639 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first year.
2011: Sophomore Year Performance
In 2011, Jimmy Garoppolo continued his college football career at Eastern Illinois, passing for 2,644 yards and 20 touchdowns.
2012: Junior Year Performance
In 2012, Jimmy Garoppolo had an impressive junior year at Eastern Illinois, passing for 3,823 yards and 31 touchdowns.
2013: Won Walter Payton Award
In 2013, Jimmy Garoppolo won the Walter Payton Award for the most outstanding offensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision. He was also named the 2013–14 OVC Male Athlete of the Year and the 2013 College Football Performance FCS National Quarterback of the Year.
2014: Drafted by the New England Patriots
In 2014, Jimmy Garoppolo was selected in the second round of the NFL draft by the New England Patriots. He spent his first four seasons as Tom Brady's backup, contributing to two Super Bowl-winning teams.
2014: Drafted by the Patriots as 62nd Overall Pick
In 2014, Jimmy Garoppolo was drafted by the New England Patriots as the 62nd overall pick. He signed a four-year contract worth $3,483,898 with $1,103,744 guaranteed and an $853,744 signing bonus.
2014: Regular Season Debut
In 2014, Jimmy Garoppolo made his regular-season debut in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, leading the Patriots on a scoring drive and throwing his first career passing touchdown.
2014: Considered a Top Quarterback Prospect for 2014 NFL Draft
In 2014, Jimmy Garoppolo was considered one of the better quarterback prospects for the NFL draft, represented by Don Yee.
2015: 2015 Season Performance
In 2015, Jimmy Garoppolo appeared in five games in relief roles, completing one of four passes for six yards.
2016: Starting Quarterback Due to Tom Brady's Suspension
In 2016, Jimmy Garoppolo was named the starting quarterback for the first four games of the season due to Tom Brady's suspension. He performed well before being sidelined with a shoulder injury in Week 2.
October 31, 2017: Traded to the San Francisco 49ers
On October 31, 2017, Jimmy Garoppolo was traded to the San Francisco 49ers from the New England Patriots in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft.
November 28, 2017: Named Starter for Week 13
On November 28, 2017, Jimmy Garoppolo was named the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers' Week 13 game against the Chicago Bears.
December 3, 2017: First Start for the 49ers
On December 3, 2017, Jimmy Garoppolo made his first start for the San Francisco 49ers, leading them to a 15-14 victory over the Chicago Bears with 293 passing yards and an interception.
2017: Traded to the San Francisco 49ers
In 2017, Jimmy Garoppolo was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. He helped revitalize the team by winning the remaining five games of the season.
February 8, 2018: Signed Record-Breaking Contract
On February 8, 2018, Jimmy Garoppolo signed a 5-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers worth $137.5 million, the largest in NFL history at the time.
April 30, 2018: Voted 90th Best Player on NFL Top 100
On April 30, 2018, Jimmy Garoppolo was voted the 90th best player in the league on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018 by his peers.
2018: Debut for the 49ers
In 2018, Jimmy Garoppolo made his debut for the San Francisco 49ers, taking snaps in the final minute of a game against the Seahawks and throwing a touchdown on his first drive.
2018: Missed Most of the 2018 Season Due to Injury
In 2018, Jimmy Garoppolo's season was cut short due to injuries, causing him to miss most of the games.
2019: Return from Injury and NFC Championship
In 2019, Garoppolo returned from a previous injury and led the 49ers to a successful season, winning the NFC West and securing home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. He finished the season with 3,978 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
2019: Guided 49ers to Super Bowl LIV
In 2019, Jimmy Garoppolo led the San Francisco 49ers to the top seed in their conference and an appearance in Super Bowl LIV.
November 5, 2020: Ankle Injury and Injured Reserve
On November 5, 2020, Garoppolo was placed on injured reserve due to a re-aggravated high ankle sprain, sidelining him for a significant portion of the season. He was designated to return later in the season but the 49ers opted not to activate him.
2020: Playoff Run and Super Bowl Appearance
In 2020, Garoppolo led the 49ers to the Super Bowl, but they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. He was hampered by a knee injury during the playoffs and threw for a limited number of yards in the NFC Championship game.
2020: Missed Most of the 2020 Season Due to Injury
In 2020, Jimmy Garoppolo faced another challenging season as injuries sidelined him for most of the games.
2021: Starting Role and Playoff Berth
Garoppolo started the 2021 season as the 49ers' starting quarterback. Despite missing two games due to a calf injury, he threw for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, helping the 49ers achieve a 10-7 record and secure a playoff berth.
2021: NFC Championship Game Appearance
In 2021, Jimmy Garoppolo helped lead the San Francisco 49ers to an NFC Championship Game appearance.
December 6, 2022: Return to Starting Role and Season-Ending Injury
On December 6, 2022, news broke that Garoppolo avoided a Lisfranc injury. It was initially feared that he would need surgery after suffering a foot injury in Week 13, which would have ended his season. While his return timeline was set at 7-8 weeks, he did not return for the remainder of the season.
2022: Backup Role and Contract Restructure
In 2022, Garoppolo transitioned to a backup role behind Trey Lance. He signed a one-year contract with a fully guaranteed base salary of $6.5 million.
2022: Season-Ending Injury and Subsequent Signing with Raiders
In 2022, Jimmy Garoppolo suffered another season-ending injury. He later signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he was benched and subsequently released after one season.
March 17, 2023: Signing with the Las Vegas Raiders
On March 17, 2023, Garoppolo signed a three-year, $67.5 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. This move reunited him with his former offensive coordinator from the Patriots, Josh McDaniels.
October 31, 2023: Benching and Coaching Change
On October 31, 2023, Garoppolo was benched in favor of rookie Aidan O'Connell after a 3-5 start to the season, during which he led the NFL in interceptions and missed two games. The move coincided with the firing of head coach Josh McDaniels.
March 13, 2024: Release from the Raiders
On March 13, 2024, Garoppolo was released by the Las Vegas Raiders.
March 19, 2024: Signing with the Los Angeles Rams
On March 19, 2024, Garoppolo signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Rams. However, he will miss the first two games of the season due to a violation of the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.