It might be time to reconsider the Jimmy Garoppolo narrative. For years, it was widely assumed that Tom Brady’s sustained excellence pushed his former understudy out of Foxborough.
Could Julian Edelman contribute to an NFL team at this point?
But biting criticism directed towards Garoppolo from a couple of ex-Patriots indicate his teammates weren’t enthralled with him. In fact, they think he quit on them, which is one of the most damning accusations that can ever be uttered about a quarterback.
Months ago, Martellus Bennett called out Garoppolo on Devin and Jason McCourty’s Double Coverage podcast for missing the last two games of Brady's four-game Deflategate suspension with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. Jimmy Garoppolo was being a [expletive]," the former Patriots tight end said. “He decided not to play right before the game. Jacoby (Brissett) came out and played with a [expletive]-up thumb and played his heart out, but Jimmy was just being a [expletive] about it all.”
At the end of his diatribe, Bennett declared “you can't win with a [expletive] for a quarterback.”
Put that on a t-shirt.
On Monday, Julian Edelman echoed Bennett’s comments on the “I AM ATHLETE” podcast. “A lot of guys got mad about it. I'm not gonna lie, I got mad about it," Edelman said. "I sacrifice my body all day long. I was taking shots for this, numbing up that. Broken ribs. Shoulders. Grade 3 [sprains] hanging on by limbs just to play. I can understand why Marty thinks like that.”
Edelman and Bennett both praised Jacoby Brissett for playing with no ligaments in his right thumb when he started against the Bills in Week 4, after Garoppolo pulled himself just hours before game time.
The Patriots lost 16-0.
Garoppolo returned to the bench when Brady returned, and never left. Then Garoppolo didn’t finish minicamp due to an undisclosed lower body injury. He was traded to the 49ers in late October 2017.
The abrupt nature of the Garoppolo trade was curious, especially since the Patriots only received a second round pick, far below the believed market price for a rising young QB. At the time, ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reported that Robert Kraft forced Bill Belichick to deal Garoppolo away.
It’s apparent that Belichick was infatuated with Garoppolo. When the Patriots drafted Garoppolo in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Belichick infamously referenced Brady’s “age and contract situation.”
Two years later, Belichick remarked that Garoppolo can “go out there and run everything that Tom can run.” Those comments were made in November 2016 — right after Garoppolo seemingly alienated his teammates.
It was also reported that Belichick texted Garoppolo following each of his starts with the 49ers in 2017.
With those tidbits in mind, it might be true that Belichick resisted trading Garoppolo. But it would’ve been hard for Belichick to start a quarterback who wasn’t respected in the locker room, especially if that quarterback was succeeding Brady.
Injuries have continued to hamper Garoppolo since he arrived in San Francisco — lending more credence to Bennett and Edelman’s criticisms. He’s missed 25 games over the last four years.
The 49ers drafted Trey Lance with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, though Garoppolo remains on the roster. San Francisco has made the Super Bowl and two NFC Championships with Garoppolo under center, but haven’t broken through.
Bennett’s words about not being able to win with a [expletive] at quarterback may have been prophetic.