Scott Eklund / Associated Press
Fresh out of their first losing season in two decades, the New England Patriots are planning to chase their former quarterback to get them back into the playoffs.
No, not the one you’re thinking about. What they want is Jimmy Garoppolo, with whom they negotiated in 2017.
“From what I realized when talking to people this week, Jimmy Garoppolo is still a long way from his Plan A,” Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal said in his podcast this week. “That, if they had to draw, exactly the ideal situation for the Patriots next season, is Jimmy G coming back here. And, of course, it all depends on the 49ers doing something.”
Garoppolo played for the Patriots from 2014 to 2017 before being traded for a second-round pick during the 2017 season. He’s been solid, but nothing spectacular in San Francisco, with most metrics classifying him as an average starting quarterback, but 49ers has been very successful whenever he is in the lineup. The 49ers have been 22-8 in the past four seasons, with Garoppolo as the starter and 7-27 with another player in the center.
49ers general manager John Lynch said recently that the team plans to have Garoppolo back as a starter next season, but acknowledged the need for a robust reserve. Garoppolo has lost 23 games in the past three seasons.
“Being available is a big part of that,” said Lynch in the Eye test for two podcast. “So we – probably as a stated goal – we have to isolate ourselves better. We have to have better options if he’s not there. I saw people go through this in their careers where they fought early. It happened to me early, and then I spent eight years without losing an office. So I believe that things can happen, and I believe they will happen to him. I really believe that Jimmy is our guy. “
The Patriots struggled to replace Tom Brady last season, with Cam Newton looking significantly beyond his peak as a passer, while being surrounded by one of the worst cores of skill and position in football. New England has a significant limit for making offensive upgrades this offseason ($ 66.5 million), and bringing Garoppolo back is an understandable goal, given that he Never wanted keep going.
Garoppolo, 29, has a base salary of $ 24.1 million in 2021 and $ 24.2 million in 2022.