When Jimmy Garoppolo was benched as the Raiders’ starting quarterback in 2023, the team’s No. 1 receiver, Davante Adams, endorsed the move. Now Adams and Garoppolo are teammates again on the Rams, and Adams says anyone who thinks he has a problem with Garoppolo doesn’t understand what the situation was in Las Vegas two years ago.
Asked on Sedano & Kap how it is playing with Garoppolo again, Adams answered, “It’s amazing.”
Adams went on to say that he and Garoppolo were both frustrated on the Raiders at the time, but there was never any animosity between them.
“I love Jimmy. It was never a personal thing,” Adams said. “It’s been amazing, we’ve gotten to catch up and get on the same page. Obviously that was just a dark moment in all of our lives. I think all of us were pretty miserable over there. We kind of caught up and laughed about it, and we’ve been making plays since we’ve been here.”
Garoppolo is running the first-string offense at Rams camp while Matthew Stafford sits out with a back injury, and from all indications things are going smoothly between two veteran players who were previously teammates in a situation that was anything but smooth.
As the Rams get ready for the start of the season, quarterback Matthew Stafford isn’t. And coach Sean McVay confirmed on Monday that Stafford’s status has not changed.
“Matthew will be week-to-week,” coach Sean McVay told reporters. “It’ll be the same for the rest of the week on that.”
Week-to-week always implies a longer absence than day-to-day. And it’s rarely a one- or two-week thing.
While Stafford is obviously the kind of player who will show up when it counts, the situation raises real questions about whether the back problems will linger for the 37-year-old quarterback.
There’s still plenty of time before the Week 1 visit from the Texans. But even if he’s able to play on September 7, how ready will he be if he keeps missing camp reps?
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is currently week to week with a back problem. That makes Jimmy Garoppolo the man in L.A., until Stafford is ready.
“I think Jimmy Garoppolo is a starting quarterback,” Rams coach Sean McVay recently told reporters. “Obviously, we feel so fortunate to have somebody like Matthew leading the way, but Jimmy’s done a great job. I think he’s shown good command the first couple days. I’ve always thought he was a high-caliber player.”
Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who worked with Garoppolo from his arrival in San Francisco via trade in 2017 through 2020, offered similar praise for the former 49ers starter.
“I mean, he’s a proven, very good quarterback in this league,” LaFleur told reporters. “Obviously I have a huge history with him. I’ve always loved Jimmy as a person. I’ve always loved his game and respected his game. Now going into year two [with the Rmas[, he knows this locker room and the guys don’t blink when he’s out there because he has command of that huddle. The coolest part, and I’ve been on record saying this, he’s got Matthew’s back at a level that is so awesome. He wants Matthew to be out here in the worst way, just like we all do. Until then, he’s just going to do what Jimmy does.”
That could make the Week 5 Thursday night visit from the 49ers very interesting, in the unlikely event Stafford isn’t able to play. More broadly, it makes the division rivalry between a pair of potential Super Bowl contenders far more compelling.
Rams linebacker Jared Verse has learned how to work out like former Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald. In addition to being a great player, Verse has something else in common with the future Hall of Famer.
Verse has an edge. And that edge sometimes needs to be controlled in practice.
Coach Sean McVay needed to talk to Verse after a practice-field scuffle. McVay was later asked what he said.
“Just what we talked about, controlled aggression,” McVay told reporters. “I like the way that he responded, one of the things that makes Jared great is that edge that he plays with. I can remember it’s the same things that Aaron and I used to talk about when he was playing. You’re always right on that line of using the aggressiveness, that edge. He likes to talk shit and so you don’t want to take that away from him, but you want to make sure that you’re able to reset from one snap to the next. We always talk about, ‘Let’s respond, let’s not react.’ I like the way that he finished practice.”
The best news is that Verse has yet to attack someone with a helmet. The key word may be “yet.” Donald’s incident happened in joint practices with the Bengals.
This year, the Rams will have joint practices with the Cowboys and the Chargers.
Rams coach Sean McVay said earlier this week that quarterback Matthew Stafford would miss the start of training camp, returning for the second block. Stafford, though, will not get back into team drills next week.
McVay gave a medical update on Stafford’s sore back Saturday, emphasizing that the two-time Pro Bowler has not had a setback in his rehab. Stafford, though, will continue to work on the side into next week.
“The ultimate goal is Houston [for the season opener], and being mindful of that, so we’ll take it a week at a time with him,” McVay said, via video from the team. “Based on sitting down with [the team’s sports medicine and performance senior vice president] Reggie [Scott] and with Matthew and talking with Dr. [Robert] Watkins, we feel like that’s the smart thing to do. A week at a time with him.
“But I don’t have any more concerns. The goal in mind is Houston, and I do think this is the best plan for him.”
Stafford, 37, is entering his fifth season with the Rams. He got through 2024 healthy, with the Rams sitting him in their Week 18 game having already clinched the NFC West. Stafford completed 65.8 percent of his throws last season for 3,762 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
The Rams have a plan to get him through a full season again, and this is part of that plan.
The team will be deliberate in Stafford’s training camp participation.
McVay said he should have characterized Stafford as “week to week” when he reported the injury earlier this week.
“It does not worry me,” McVay said of the delay to get Stafford into team drills. “What I probably should have done is say we’re taking it a week at a time, but I don’t have any reason to be concerned based on the information that’s been given. With that being said, I don’t think we can be smart enough with somebody like Matthew. I think it’s best for him and best for our football team. That’s kind of the plan we’ll have moving forward. I know that will surprise people, but I did want to at least let you guys know as we’re begin fluid with this. But we don’t have any reason for concern, but I do think it’s the smart thing just based on [getting him ready for the season opener] Sept. 7 . . . with that being the main goal in mind.”
