The New England Patriots’ bizarre preseason quarterback controversy will get one more installment Thursday night.
The Patriots will be at MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Giants in their fourth and final preseason game. Projected Week 1 starters usually don’t participate in these games, and according to a report, that will hold true Thursday — with a bit of a twist.
Tom Brady will lead the Patriots onto the field and start at quarterback against the Giants, CSNNE.com’s Tom E. Curran reported Thursday. Jimmy Garoppolo, meanwhile, isn’t expected to play at all.
Garoppolo is New England’s de facto starting quarterback for Weeks 1 through 4 while Brady serves his four-game Deflategate suspension. The second-year QB has had an up-and-down preseason, though, leaving some to wonder if he’d get snaps against the Giants to better prepare himself for the 2016 season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.
Garoppolo’s backup, rookie Jacoby Brissett, will take over for Brady at some point during the game, per Curran. The NC State product went 9-for-9 against the Carolina Panthers in the Patriots’ third preseason game, but he certainly could use the reps as New England’s only insurance policy for Garoppolo.
Brady, meanwhile, gets one more chance to see the field before beginning his suspension next week. The 11-time Pro Bowler played four series against the Panthers last week after not playing in the Patriots’ first two preseason games.
It’s a bit of an odd decision to start Brady, considering he’ll be on the bench for the next four weeks and both Garoppolo and Brissett are light on experience. Then again, Garoppolo’s reported benching eliminates the chances of him going down with an injury.
Is there a rift between Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo? >>
Thumbnail photo via Jeremy Brevard/USA TODAY Sports Images
