The Patriots are reportedly honed in on bringing Jimmy Garoppolo back to New England and that should be the intent of Bill Belichick and Co.
Losing Tom Brady was never going to put the New England Patriots in a favorable position moving into the 2020 season. The false hope of Cam Newton proved as much as Bill Belichick and the franchise missed out on the playoffs for the first time in quite a while. However, you have to wonder how things would’ve worked out had Brady walked away just a few years earlier when Jimmy Garoppolo was still on the roster.
But with seemingly no intention of bringing Newton back to New England, though, the franchise is left searching for answers once again. As free agency quickly approaches, though, it seems as if the Patriots could be turning their attention to Garoppolo once again.
According to Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal in a recent podcast appearance, the Pats consider Garoppolo “Plan A” to address their need at quarterback. Bedard noted that New England getting Jimmy G would be the ideal scenario but it is inten option for the organization. Of course, it’s contingent upon the 49ers being willing to move on from the quarterback.
Garoppolo was traded from the Patriots to the 49ers in the middle of the 2017 season for a second-round pick. While he helped lead San Francisco to Super Bowl LIV, the quarterback has struggled to stay healthy, missing 23 games over the last three seasons.
Despite that, however, his return to New England would possibly be best for all parties involved.
There’s no better realistic option for the Patriots outside of Jimmy Garoppolo.
From everything the 49ers have said this offseason, they don’t plan on moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo if there isn’t an obvious upgrade at the position available to them. Subsequently, if they are trading or cutting him, we have to assume San Francisco is happy enough with their spot to make that decision.
As for Garoppolo and the Patriots, this would be best for both of them. The quarterback has been unable to escape the perception of limiting the 49ers’ ceiling at the helm of their offense, though he’s been a fine player with healthy. Meanwhile, New England has seen persistent issues without Brady in the fold because they don’t have a quality player who can avoid mistakes within the system.
New England could change that with Jimmy G. He’s obviously familiar with the system and the way things work under the Patriot Way due to his 3.5 years spent with the franchise. Moreover, he would represent a bastion of hope given how steady he is, even if he’s unspectacular.
While the Patriots can’t leave any option at quarterback off the table at this point, they are right for making Jimmy Garoppolo their Plan A. They don’t need a superstar, they just need familiarity and competence. Their former backup could provide them that and help Belichick’s club get back to the postseason.