Jimmy Garoppolo Open To Playing In 2026

We heard earlier this offseason that Jimmy Garoppolo was considering hanging up his cleats, but the veteran quarterback has yet to commit to a decision. While retirement could still be on the table, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo said today that Garoppolo is “very much open to playing this season in the right situation.”

Garafolo adds that retirement was indeed under consideration this offseason, but after taking some time to himself, Garoppolo has a “refreshed” and “renewed” approach to the 2026 campaign.

Of course, while the 34-year-old may be interested in playing another season, it would require a team showing interest. Garafolo says a signing isn’t imminent, and a hypothetical Garoppolo addition may require a team losing their QB1 to injury.

There were rumblings earlier this offseason that the Rams would still consider bringing back their recent backup, but the team also understood that Garoppolo was considering calling it a career. Ultimately, the organization went in a different direction, adding Ty Simpson in the first round of the draft. We heard back in April that the Simpson selection wouldn’t necessarily prevent the Rams from exploring a Garoppolo reunion, but for the time being, it sounds like the organization doesn’t have the veteran in their plans.

Garoppolo only made three brief cameos in place of Matthew Stafford during the 2025 campaign. His last start came in 2024, when he completed 27 of his 41 pass attempts for 334 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in a loss. His last extended look was with the Raiders in 2023. That year, Garoppolo completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 1,205 yards, seven touchdowns, and six interceptions while guiding his team to a 3-3 record.