LA Rams QB Jimmy Garoppolo says he ‘messed up’ NFL’s policy on Therapeutic Use Exemptions resulting in two-game ban

By Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — For the second time in two years, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is starting afresh.

The 32-year-old is switching Nevada for California this offseason, signing a one-year deal to join the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday having left the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this month.

However, Garoppolo will be absent from his new team’s start to the season after he was handed a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) during his time with the Raiders.

“I mean, just messed up the TUE really,” Garoppolo told reporters as he appeared in front of the media for the first time after signing his deal with the Rams. “I hate to joke about it, but just messed up the TUE when I first got to Las Vegas, and yeah, bad timing I guess.”

According to the NFL, players can be given a TUE for the “use of a prohibited substance to treat an appropriately diagnosed medical problem.”

TUEs are granted according to the discretion of the independent administrator of NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances and the medical advisor for the policy and program for substances of abuse.

A TUE may be granted retroactively “only if emergency use of the prohibited substance is necessary to avoid morbidity or mortality of disease or disorder,” according to the NFL.

Garoppolo is still permitted to participate in the Rams’ offseason plans, including its training camp and preseason games, but will be absent for the team’s first two regular season games.

The two-time Super Bowl winner said that he hopes to take his suspension “in stride,” and plans to “attack” the offseason with his new team.

“Hopefully, we’ll get some dubs and start off 2-0 and keep things moving. But it’s just one of those situations. It is what it is. You got to deal with it and just keep moving on and stay positive.”

Garoppolo will join the Rams as the team’s backup quarterback behind starter Matthew Stafford.

He has experience as a backup quarterback having done so with the New England Patriots behind Tom Brady, during which time he won Super Bowl XLIX and LI.

He has since had stints with the San Francisco 49ers and an injury-blighted year with the Raiders before joining the Rams.

“I’m excited to start this new journey,” Garoppolo said. “I don’t know exactly what is in store for me. But yeah, maybe reset, reinvent, whatever you want to call it – I’m just excited to get back on the football field and start slinging around with some new guys. I love football.

“I love going out there with the guys. I love every bit of it. So I’m just excited to get back out there and start throwing again.”

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