2 Rams players who are defying all expectations at training camp

The Los Angeles Rams needed a veteran quarterback to back up starting quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2024. And the former San Francisco 49ers turned Las Vegas Raiders veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo needed a fresh start. It was a perfect fit for both parties. Rams HC Sean McVay had been an admirer of Garoppolo for years.

It was Garoppolo who always seemed to claim the unlikeliest of victories against the Rams when he played for the 49ers. Now that he plays for the Rams, it's the Rams that have a three-game winning streak against the 49ers. And while he has had a minimal role so far with the team, he has drawn nothing but praise from HC Sean McVay.

In his lone start in 2024, he nearly led the junior varsity squad to victory over the Seattle Seahawks. While the Rams lost the Week 18 contest by a score of 30 to 25, Garoppolo certainly did his part. He completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. It was the best passing game for the Rams offense in 2024, and it was the backups who accomplished that feat. Garoppolo connected with nine different players in the game.

Adams fills a huge void

The Los Angeles Rams pivoted to the 2025 NFL season with a huge need for wide receiver talent. While the headlines were filled with the imminent departure of All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp, the team also shed WRs Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson. The loss of the receivers took 1500 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns off the roster.

Davante Adams was coming off a disheartening season, struggling in a Raiders offense that never lived up to the promises given to sign him in free agency. And when he joined the New York Jets in mid-season, he was able to reunite with his friend and former teammate, QB Aaron Rodgers. But the Jets were a bad team racing to insignificance. As a result, Davante Adams was no long excited to suit up and play football. A paycheck is not motivating, and Adams needed a reason to love the game once more.

As soon as the Rams were able to get Davante Adams on the football field, surrounded by young and passionate football players, his passion for the game bust into flames once more. When he is not working with the infectious laughter of Puka Nacua, he is working to bolster pass coverage techniques of young defensive backs like Cobie Durant and Emmanuel Forbes.

Did this really just happen?

But Garoppolo and Adams have played on the same team before, and that experience did not end well for either player. One of the reasons that the Raiders benched Garoppolo was the public protests of Adams, who was livid with his quarterback. Garoppolo started seven games for the Raiders that season, passing for 1,205 yards, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

Adams caught 103 passes for 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns. But the rift was so deep and dramatic that the Raiders cut ties with Garoppolo at the end of the season. The Rams were thrilled to shop the bargain basement for a veteran quarterback.

But it was impossible for the Rams to anticipate reuniting Jimmy Garoppolo with Davante Adams in 2025. And with Stafford facing five days of working with team trainers to strengthen and heal his sore back, Adams and Jimmy G are back on the football field together. How will the two veterans handle old wounds? Is their 2023 feud going to spring to life once more?

Put those fears of renewed feuds to rest

Put those fears to rest. While Jimmy Garoppolo did not face a decision to join the team and confront his former teammate/nemesis, veteran wide receiver Davante Adams certainly had to come to grips with the possibility of catching passes from his former quarterback. And while the Raiders offense was confusing to anyone, the Rams offense is a different beast altogether.

If a player is dissatisfied, they are shown the door quickly, no questions asked.

So can Jimmy Garoppolo and Davante Adams coexist? That question has been on the mind of Rams fans for weeks. But we now know that it may be overblown. In one play on the first day of training camp, Jimmy Garoppolo pulled the football down and ran it in for a touchdown. WR Davante Adams was one of the first players to rush to his side and congratulate him on a heads-up play.

I suspect that the Rams offer a much different structure than that which allowed private frustrations to flow into the public domain and social media. This team insists that those types of discussions are held privately. But in the same breath, it's impossible to be frustrated and carry a chip on your shoulder when you are having fun.

As always, thanks for reading.

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