Traded to the
San Francisco 49ers near the end of the 2017 season, Garoppolo helped revitalize a 1–10 team by winning the five remaining games that year. His most successful season was in 2019 when he guided the 49ers to their conference's top seed and an appearance in
Super Bowl LIV. Garoppolo also helped lead the team to an
NFC Championship Game appearance in 2021. However, his San Francisco tenure was afflicted by injuries, which caused him to miss most of the 2018 and 2020 seasons. After suffering another season-ending injury in 2022, Garoppolo signed with the
Las Vegas Raiders the following year, where he was benched and later released after one season with the team.
Early life and family
Garoppolo was born and raised in
Arlington Heights, Illinois.[5] He is the third of four sons born to Denise (née Malec) and Tony Garoppolo Sr.,[6] a retired electrician.[7] His older brothers are Tony Garoppolo Jr., an architect; and Mike Garoppolo, a teacher, and his younger brother is Billy Garoppolo.[8] He is from a "tight-knit, big Italian family";[6] his paternal grandparents, Anthony and Rose Garoppolo, were both
Italian immigrants, while his maternal grandparents, Theodore J. Malec and Harriet D. Seidel, were of
Polish and
German descent, respectively.[9]
Garoppolo played football for the
Eastern Illinois Panthers from 2010 to 2013.[14] In his first year, he started eight games, passing for 1,639 yards and 14 touchdowns and earning All-
Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer Team honors playing under head coach
Bob Spoo. He went on to start every remaining game during his time at Eastern Illinois, passing for 2,644 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2011, 3,823 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2012, and 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns in 2013, breaking the school record for career pass completions previously held by former
Dallas Cowboys quarterback
Tony Romo.[15][16][17]
The
New England Patriots selected him in the second round of the 2014 draft as the 62nd overall pick.[29] He was the first player from the
Football Championship Subdivision drafted in 2014, and the highest-drafted quarterback the Patriots had selected since
Drew Bledsoe was picked first overall in 1993.[30] Garoppolo and the Patriots signed a four-year contract worth $3,483,898 ($1,103,744 guaranteed) with an $853,744 signing bonus.[31][32]
In 2014, Garoppolo made his regular season debut in the fourth quarter of the Patriots' Week 4 41–14 road loss to the
Kansas City Chiefs. He led the Patriots on a scoring drive, which led to his first career passing touchdown on a 13-yard pass to
tight endRob Gronkowski on his first drive. He finished the game completing six of seven passes for 70 yards and one touchdown, with a
passer rating of 147.9.[33]
In his rookie season, Garoppolo played in six games. He completed 19 of 27 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown with a 101.2 passer rating and had 10 rushing attempts for 9 yards.[34] While Garoppolo did not take any snaps in the Patriots'
Super Bowl XLIX victory, he was credited with helping to prepare the Patriots' defense for
Seattle Seahawks quarterback
Russell Wilson.[35]
After starting quarterback
Tom Brady was suspended by the league for four games for
Deflategate, head coach
Bill Belichick named Garoppolo the starting quarterback for the first game of the 2016 season, and he was expected to stand in for Brady for all four games.[37][38] Garoppolo completed 24 of 33 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown in a 23–21 Week 1 victory over the
Arizona Cardinals.[39] He threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2 against the
Miami Dolphins before being sidelined with a shoulder injury in the second quarter of the 31–24 victory.[40] He sprained his
AC joint after a hit by Dolphins' linebacker
Kiko Alonso that kept him out the next two games, giving the starting job to rookie
Jacoby Brissett before Brady returned from his suspension in Week 5.[41][42] In
Super Bowl LI, while active for the Patriots' 34–28 overtime victory over the
Atlanta Falcons; he was the only Patriot who did not play in the game.[43][44]
During the offseason, Garoppolo was the subject of several trade rumors with the
Chicago Bears and
Cleveland Browns being cited most commonly as potential suitors.[45][46][47] Ultimately, no trade occurred and Garoppolo remained with the Patriots going into the season.
On October 31, 2017, the Patriots traded Garoppolo to the
San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the 49ers' second-round pick in the
2018 NFL draft.[48] He made his 49ers debut on November 26 in the final minute of the 49ers' Week 12 game against the Seahawks, taking his first snaps of the season after starter
C. J. Beathard suffered an injury. On his first play as a 49er, he rushed for six yards; on the final play of the game, he threw a 10-yard touchdown to
Louis Murphy. He finished the 24–13 loss completing both pass attempts for 18 yards and a touchdown.[49]
On November 28, 2017, Garoppolo was named the starter for the 49ers' Week 13 game against the Bears.[50] Making his first start for the 49ers on December 3, 2017, Garoppolo finished with 293 passing yards and an interception as the 49ers won 15–14.[51] He recorded 334 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 26–16 victory over the
Houston Texans in Week 14.[52] In the next game against the
Tennessee Titans, he had a season-high 381 passing yards and a touchdown in a close 25–23 win.[53] In Week 16 against the
Jacksonville Jaguars, he had 242 passing yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and his first career rushing touchdown in the 44–33 victory.[54] In the regular season finale against the
Los Angeles Rams, who were resting most defensive starters to prepare for the playoffs, he accumulated 292 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in a 34–13 blowout 49ers' win.[55] His victories in Weeks 13–17 gave him a 7–0 record in his first seven starts (including his two starts for New England), making him the first quarterback to do so since
Ben Roethlisberger accomplished the same feat in 2004.[56] With Garoppolo under center, the 49ers scored on 62 percent of their offensive drives, 11 percent more than the second-place Patriots.[57] For perspective, NFL teams scored on 35 percent of their drives in 2017, and the 49ers scored on just 29 percent of their 2017 drives without Garoppolo.[58] Garoppolo finished the 2017 season with 1,560 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, five interceptions, 11 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown.[59]
Because Garoppolo was on the Patriots' roster for eight games before he was traded to the 49ers, an NFC team, he was eligible for payments from the league based on the Patriots' playoff performance; because the Patriots reached
Super Bowl LII, he earned $107,000.[60]
On February 8, 2018, the 49ers and Garoppolo agreed to terms on a 5-year contract worth a maximum of $137.5 million. At the time of its signing, it was the largest contract in NFL history on an annual basis, surpassing that of
Detroit Lions quarterback
Matthew Stafford. It also had nearly $90 million in guarantees in the first three years, also the largest total in NFL history at the time.[61][62]
During Week 3 game against the Chiefs, Garoppolo finished with 251 passing yards for two touchdowns before leaving the game with a left knee injury. It was later revealed he
tore his ACL, prematurely ending his season.[64] With Garoppolo sidelined, the 49ers went on to finish with a 4–12 record.[65]
Garoppolo returned from his injury in time for the 49ers' season opener against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the game, he threw for 166 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the 31–17 win.[66] In the next game against the
Cincinnati Bengals, Garoppolo threw for 297 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception as the 49ers won 41–17.[67] On
Thursday Night Football in Week 9 against the Cardinals, Garoppolo threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns as the 49ers won 28–25.[68] In Week 10 against the Seahawks, Garoppolo threw for 248 yards, a touchdown, and an interception as the 49ers lost 27–24 in overtime.[69] The next week against the Arizona Cardinals, Garoppolo threw for 424 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions as the 49ers won 36–26.[70] In Week 12, against the
Green Bay Packers, he passed for 253 yards and two touchdowns in the 37–8 victory.[71] In Week 14 against the
New Orleans Saints, Garoppolo threw for 349 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in the 48–46 win, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[72][73] In Week 17, against the Seattle Seahawks, he was 18-of-22 for 285 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the 26–21 victory, which clinched the NFC West and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs for the 49ers.[74][75] He finished the 2019 season with 3,978 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.[76] Garoppolo was the runner-up for
NFL Comeback Player of the Year, finishing one vote behind Titans quarterback
Ryan Tannehill.[77]
In the
Divisional Round of the playoffs against the
Minnesota Vikings, Garoppolo threw for 131 yards, one touchdown, and one interception during the 27–10 win.[78] Hampered by a knee injury, Garoppolo attempted only eight passes in the 37–20
NFC Championship victory over the Packers, the fewest in a postseason game since
Bob Griese in
Super Bowl VIII, completing six for 77 yards.[79] In
Super Bowl LIV against the Chiefs in
Miami, Florida, Garoppolo threw 31 passes, completing 20 for 219 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions during the 31–20 loss. His team was up by ten points with seven minutes remaining in the game but the Chiefs later scored 21 points in five minutes to win the game.[80] He was ranked 43rd by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.[81]
In the 49ers' Week 1 game against the Cardinals, Garoppolo threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns in the 24–20 loss.[82] The next week against the
New York Jets, Garoppolo threw for 131 yards and two touchdowns before exiting the game following the first half with an ankle sprain and replaced by
Nick Mullens.[83] He missed the next two games against the
New York Giants and
Philadelphia Eagles before returning to the starting lineup in Week 5 against the Dolphins.[84] During the game, Garoppolo completed 7 passes out of 17 attempts for 77 yards and two interceptions before being benched in favor of
C. J. Beathard at halftime. The 49ers wound up losing 43–17.[85] Head coach
Kyle Shanahan said after the game that he benched Garoppolo because he was concerned he wasn't fully recovered and didn't want his injury aggravated.[86] In the following week's game against the Rams, Garoppolo threw for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns during the 24–16 win.[87]
In Week 7 against his former team, the Patriots, Garoppolo threw for 277 yards and two interceptions during the 33–6 win.[88] In Week 8 against the Seahawks, Garoppolo completed 11 of 16 passes for only 84 yards and an interception before injuring his ankle and leaving in the 4th quarter being replaced by Mullens. The 49ers lost 37–27.[89][90] The next day, it was announced that Garoppolo would be out indefinitely due to him re-aggravating his high ankle sprain.[91][92] On November 5, 2020, Garoppolo was placed on
injured reserve.[93] He was designated to return from injured reserve on December 22, and began practicing with the team again, but the 49ers did not activate him before the end of the season.[94]
Garoppolo would start the 2021 season over the third overall pick
Trey Lance.[95] In Week 1 against the Lions, Garoppolo threw for 314 yards and a touchdown while losing a fumble in a 41–33 victory.[96] In Week 3 against the Packers, Garoppolo threw for 254 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception while again losing a fumble in a 30–28 loss.[97] In Week 4 against the Seahawks, Garoppolo threw for 165 yards, a touchdown, and an interception before leaving in the second half due to a calf injury. The 49ers would lose 28–21 and Garoppolo would miss the Week 5 against the Cardinals as well.[98][99] In Week 8 against the Bears, Garoppolo had two rushing touchdowns to go along with 322 yards passing in a 33–22 victory.[100] In Week 18 against the Rams, Garoppolo threw for 316 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions, but helped the 49ers rally from being down 17–3 at halftime and won 27–24 in overtime, sending the team to the
playoffs.[101] Garoppolo played in 15 games, missing two games due to injury, threw for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and rushed for three additional touchdowns as the 49ers finished the regular season with a 10–7 record.[102][103]
In the
Wild Card Round of the playoffs against the
Dallas Cowboys, Garoppolo threw for 172 yards and an interception in the 23–17 win.[104] In the
Divisional Round, Garoppolo threw for 131 yards and an interception en route to a 13–10 upset win over the favored Packers.[105] In the
NFC Championship against the Rams, Garoppolo threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns, but threw a costly interception to
Travin Howard in the final two minutes in the 20–17 loss.[106]
During
training camp, former backup quarterback
Trey Lance was named the starter over Garoppolo for the 2022 season. Garoppolo and the 49ers agreed to a one-year contract to keep him with the team. As part of the contract, he had a fully guaranteed base salary of $6.5 million.[107][108]
During Week 2 against the Seahawks, Garoppolo came into the game in the first quarter after Lance left the game with a broken ankle. Garoppolo threw for 154 yards, a touchdown, and rushed for an additional touchdown in the 27–7 win.[109] After the game, it was revealed Lance's injury was season-ending, allowing Garoppolo to retake the starting role for the remainder of the season.[110] During the Week 3 matchup against the
Denver Broncos, Garoppolo stepped out of the back of the end zone, committing a safety.[111] In Week 7 against the Chiefs, Garoppolo went for 25-of-37 passes with 303 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, and one interception in 44–23 loss.[112] In the next game, Garoppolo threw 21 completions of 25 attempts for 235 yards and two touchdowns with a 132.5 passer rating in a 31–14 win against the
rival Rams.[113] In Week 13 against the Dolphins, Garoppolo injured his foot in the first quarter and was initially expected to undergo surgery, which would end his season.[114] Rookie
Brock Purdy led the team to a 33–17 victory after. However, on December 6, 2022, it was reported by ESPN that Garoppolo did not suffer a Lisfranc foot injury, and had a return timetable of 7-8 weeks.[115] Ultimately, Garoppolo did not return for the remainder of the season. Without him, the 49ers finished the season with a 13–4 record, but lost to the Eagles in the
NFC Championship Game after injuries to both Purdy and
Josh Johnson.[116][117]
On March 17, 2023, Garoppolo signed a three-year, $67.5 million contract with the
Las Vegas Raiders.[118] The signing reunited Garoppolo with Raiders head coach
Josh McDaniels, who was the offensive coordinator when Garoppolo was with the Patriots.
On October 31, 2023, Garoppolo was benched in favor of rookie
Aidan O'Connell, after leading the NFL in interceptions and missing two games for a subpar 3–5 start to the year. The move came on the same day as the firing of Josh McDaniels.[119][120]
On March 13, 2024, Garoppolo was released by the Raiders.[121]
Los Angeles Rams
Garoppolo signed with the
Los Angeles Rams on a one-year deal on March 19, 2024.[122] He will miss the first two games of the 2024 season for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.[123]