The New England Patriots’ quarterback situation is in flux for the second straight offseason, and with Tom Brady winning a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the pressure is on Bill Belichick to find a new signal-caller.
But what if Belichick brought back an old Patriots quarterback? What if New England acquired Jimmy Garoppolo, who started his career with the Patriots before joining the San Francisco 49ers in a trade?
That’s what ESPN’s Max Kellerman sees happening this offseason.
“I believe Jimmy G’s gonna be available. I think Bill Belichick values Jimmy Garoppolo,” Kellerman said. “I think this (Tom) Brady-Belichick thing is not over, although Brady’s in a big lead right now. And I think that Garoppolo, when you consider the money — it’s not what the premier quarterbacks make; it was really more of an upper-middle-class contract than an elite kind of contract. And Garoppolo does the thing that Belichick really likes from his quarterback: He gets the ball out quickly.
“I think there’s a very good chance, if I had to guess, that Jimmy G is the Patriots’ starter this year.”
Garoppolo is still on contract with the 49ers, so the Patriots would have to either trade for the quarterback or wait for his release. That, of course, would come after San Francisco finds another option at quarterback.
