When Bill Bill Belichick traded Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers, he reportedly did so despite a far better offer from the Cleveland Browns. Furthermore, the return Belichick did get for Garoppolo — a second-round draft pick — seemed underwhelming at the time and even more so now that the 28-year-old is a Super Bowl quarterback.
All along, the question has been, “why?” Why did Belichick trade Garoppolo to San Francisco for such a middling return?
Colin Cowherd has a theory, but it’s a bit out there. The core of his theory — that Belichick truly wanted Garoppolo to succeed — is nothing to new, but the rest of it is pretty wild. Not only does Cowherd believe Belichick executed the trade so he one day could say, “I told you so,” he also believes Belichick didn’t force San Francisco to part with significant assets to ensure the 49ers could surround Garoppolo with a championship-level team.
“Belichick now, it’s all about legacy,” Cowherd said. “He’s got his millions. He’s got his trophies. He’s the best football coach ever. That doesn’t’ mean he doesn’t wanna polish up his legacy. … There’s always been this, ‘Brady led the dynasty; no it’s Belichick.’ … (His legacy) is not defined yet. Why would he give Garoppolo away?
“The reason he gave him away is he gave him to the best young football coach in America: Kyle Shanahan. … He knew, ‘I’m not gonna give him to some hack — I wanna prove my point here.’ So, he gives him away to Kyle Shanahan knowing nobody will get more out of Garoppolo than Kyle Shanahan. … I’m going to ensure Garoppolo is successful. … Twenty years from now, people can say, ‘Belichick wanted Garopolo.’ ”
"Nobody is happier that Jimmy Garoppolo is in a Super Bowl than Bill Belichick… It proves him right." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/JAePer8FdT
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 23, 2020
Whatever you say, Colin.
