Jimmy Garoppolo speaks at a press conference.(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)


New Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has finally revealed his miscue that led to a two-game suspension from the NFL.

With a clean track record, many were stunned to learn that the 32-year-old Garoppolo was suspended by the league for two games due to a violation of the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Garoppolo revealed that his suspension stemmed from him messing up a “therapeutic use exemption”, per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop:

“Rams backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said Tuesday that his two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing substances policy was because he “messed up” the therapeutic use exemption when he first got to Las Vegas.

The violation was related to the quarterback using a prescribed medication without having a valid therapeutic use exemption from the league, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter last month.”

Last week, the Rams signed Jimmy Garoppolo to a one-year contract following his release from the Las Vegas Raiders. “Jimmy G” had signed a three-year deal worth $72.75 million in 2023 free agency, but he was benched midway through the season in favor of rookie Aidan O’Connell.

The Raiders decided to get out of Garoppolo’s contract two years early, and Gardner Minshew II was signed to presumably compete with O’Connell for the starting QB job in Sin City. Of course, the Raiders could always look to take a signal-caller with their first-round pick in next month’s draft.

A second-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2014, Garoppolo spent his first three and a half years in Foxborough, winning two Super Bowl rings as Tom Brady’s backup. Garoppolo was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2017 season and spent the next six years there before joining Vegas last year.

Jimmy Garoppolo’s Career Stats

Garoppolo has appeared in 81 NFL games over his decade-long career, serving as the starter for 63 of them. He is 43-20-0 as a starter, with a 67.4 completion percentage for 15,494 yards and 94 touchdowns against 51 interceptions.

Injuries unfortunately largely defined Garoppolo’s tenure in San Francisco, as he missed at least multiple games every year except 2019. That year, the Eastern Illinois product set career bests in passing yards (3,978) and passing touchdowns (27).