The New England Patriots might not have quarterback Tom Brady for the first four games of 2016, but their back-up is doing everything he can to be ready. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will have plenty of pressure to succeed and, according to his dad, he's still trying to beat Brady.
"He’s just gearing up as if he’s competing to start," Tony Garoppolo said about his son, via the Boston Herald. "He realizes the situation. What else can you do? Give it your best."
While there's no chance that Garoppolo will take Brady's job- and the Patriots added quarterback Jacoby Brissett in the draft, stoking the idea that Garoppolo will be traded next offseason- he wants to have great audition tape when his times comes.
So how has he been getting ready?
"He went out to California again like he had the last couple years," Garoppolo's dad said. "He threw with [Danny Amendola]. I’m not sure if [Julian Edelman] was running at that time, but there were a couple of other receivers. He’s just enjoyed the whole thing."
I love to read this and I think that we'll be able to see the benefits this offseason. Garoppolo seems to have a fantastic head on his shoulders and I would really like to see him get his own team to lead in the future- and I'll be rooting for him the entire time.
But Garoppolo's dad actually has a different goal for his son moving forward.
"We hope he stays in New England," he said. "Maybe there’s a way they can still work with the two of them with the progression, only time will tell."
This is crazy, crazy, crazy. Garoppolo's dad wants him to stick around? Brady is going to play for another thirty years. I guess earning back-up quarterback money isn't a bad gig, but I would hope that Garoppolo himself would rather have a chance to compete for a starting job.