Could this season be Jimmy Garoppolo’s last in a New England Patriots uniform?
Plenty of speculation has surrounded the Patriots’ backup quarterback after his brief yet impressive cameo as a starter during Tom Brady’s Deflategate suspension. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport added fuel to the fire Sunday, reporting that New England is considering moving Garoppolo this offseason.
“The Patriots are open to trading Jimmy Garoppolo and they are going to listen to all offers, as they have over the last couple years for Garoppolo — and they have gotten a couple inquiries,” Rapoport said on NFL Network’s “NFL Gameday Morning” show, via NFL.com.
Garoppolo has been tied to a few NFL teams, including the Cleveland Browns, whom former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi speculated would aggressively pursue the 25-year-old QB in 2017. Yet Rapoport noted a Garoppolo trade wouldn’t exactly be simple business.
“But from what I am being told, there are several complicating factors: First of all, the price tag, expected to be at least a first-round pick — just based off the quarterback market,” Rapoport said. “Will anyone give them that? Second of all, are the Patriots really comfortable going forward with Jacoby Brissett as their backup quarterback in case Tom Brady gets hurt? That might be the biggest question of all.”
Brissett started two games for the Patriots this season — a 27-0 win over the Houston Texans and a 16-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills — before going on injured reserve with a thumb injury.
It figures to be an eventful offseason in New England, regardless of how the team fares in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Thumbnail photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Images
