Jimmy Garoppolo's base deal is only $4.5 million for one year
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had a guaranteed compensation package of $11.25 million for 2024, with another $11.25 million in non-guaranteed wages. He won't come close to $22.5 million in 2024.
He might not come close to the $11.25 million guarantee that was wiped out by his PED suspension.
Five days after Garoppolo agreed to terms — and after the contract was signed and filed with the NFL — the numbers are finally out. NFL Media reports that Garoppolo's base pay on a one-year deal with the Rams is $4.5 million. Incentives push the maximum value to $12 million.
Even the top number isn't worth bragging about. Otherwise, the various tweets announcing the deal would have included that it's worth "up to" $12 million, at the behest of his agent.
Six years ago, Garoppolo was the highest-paid player in NFL history, at $27.5 million per year. Last year, he signed a three-year, $72.75 million deal with the Raiders. The contract was reworked after he failed his physical.
It's still seems like a lot for Garoppolo. Who else was pursuing him? Who else was offering $4.5 million or close to it?
As MDS pointed out in the PFT writer text-message chain, the Steelers have gotten both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields for less than the $4.5 million the Rams will pay Garoppolo. On top of that, quarterback Matthew Stafford has a cap number of $49.5 million this year — more than 19 percent of the team's top salary cap.
