Jimmy Garoppolo rumors: 5 best fits in free agency

4. Best Free Agent Fits For Jimmy Garoppolo – Atlanta Falcons

Garoppolo will undoubtedly look for an opportunity where he can be an unquestioned starter in 2023. One unique landing spot could be Atlanta, which overachieved in 2022 thanks to a strong run-heavy game plan from head coach Arthur Smith.

Ineffective quarterback play from Marcus Mariota and rookie Desmond Ridder undoubtedly held back the Falcons, who did win seven games but couldn’t win a weak NFC South. Mariota has been released and Ridder didn’t look ready to become the full-time starter down the stretch, so signing Garoppolo to a bridge deal would make a lot of sense.

Installing a veteran like Garoppolo as the starter would allow Atlanta to give Ridder time to develop without the pressure of having to win right away. The division is also extremely winnable given the lack of quarterback clarity with any team in it, so there’s a good chance that Garoppolo could become the NFC South’s top passer by default.

Smith’s run-heavy offense could also be a good match for Garoppolo, who operated a similar scheme in San Francisco with tremendous success. The Falcons do have a ton of salary cap space to work with so they can afford to pay Garoppolo and upgrade the rest of the roster, giving them an opportunity to turn things around quickly.