The NFL’s impending quarterback change could end up bringing Jimmy Garoppolo back to the New England Patriots, some reports suggest.
There appear to be some major changes for a number of teams after Matthew Stafford reportedly asked for a trade with the Detroit Lions and Deshaun Watson told the Houston Texans that he wanted to leave. This is likely to lead to some changes, as both are expected to find new homes, and Garoppolo may also be on the move.
Like NESN reported, Stafford’s request for an exchange could release Tom Brady’s former reserve in New England, as the 49ers is seen as one of the main candidates to win Stafford. Although the San Francisco technical staff and board remained committed to Garoppolo, some experts believe the team would pull the trigger for a deal by Stafford if it were within reach, which would free Garoppolo.
While the NESN the report noted, the signal caller’s salary means he probably would not be part of an exchange for Stafford, making him a likely candidate to be cut.
“The ex-Patriots backup could be included in a hypothetical package for Stafford, but his current contract ($ 26.2 million in salary cap reached in 2021, $ 27 million in 2022) makes him a less than ideal commercial candidate. This deal only includes $ 2.8 million in dead money, however, which means that Niners can cut it with only a modest financial penalty, ”noted the report.
“If that happens, reuniting Garoppolo with Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels would be a sensible move for the underprivileged QB Patriots, who left the famous 29-year-old for San Francisco for a second round pick in 2017.”
There were reports that Belichick was very addicted to Garoppolo before he was traded. Like ESPN reported in 2018, the Patriots coach met with team owner Robert Kraft to discuss his roadmap for the future, with Belichick being informed that Garoppolo would not be on the team’s long-term plans and that they would negotiate for him. The report said the future coach of the Patriots’ Hall of Fame was “furious and demoralized”, but he accepted the demand. New England will potentially be looking for a quarterback again, with Cam Newton’s contract expired after this season and Jarrett Stidham looking shaky during his time behind the center last season.
It was unclear whether San Francisco would be able to close the deal for Stafford who would put the quarterback carousel in motion first. Like The Inquisitor reported, there are a number of other teams that are allegedly interested in it, including the Denver Broncos.