Garoppolo takes centre stage at Patriots’ first camp practice
JOHN KRYK
POSTMEDIA
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — When first-teamers lined up Thursday morning as the summer’s first 11-on11 drills began, it finally sunk in for some New England Patriots fans — maybe even some players — that Jimmy Garoppolo will start the season at quarterback.
Because it was Garoppolo who took those first Day 1 training-camp reps with the “ones.” Not Tom Brady.
Been a long time since that happened.
And not that there’s much pressure on Garoppolo: A fan in attendance held up a sign that said, “TOM IS GOD.”
Brady has chosen to serve his reinstated Deflategate punishments — a four-game suspension without pay, for allegedly masterminding a plot to deflate barely perceptible amounts of air from Patriots footballs prior to the January 2015 AFC championship game.
Garoppolo, should he remain healthy through training camp, instead will get the nod in Weeks 1-4: At Arizona, then at home against Miami, Houston and Buffalo.
While Brady eschewed the microphones Wednesday after training camp’s first practice concluded, Garoppolo took centre stage. And for a time, he tried to downplay his temporary ascension as much as possible.
“Nothing has really changed,” he told dozens of swarming reporters and cameramen. “When they put me in for the reps I’m in for, I’ll go out there, do my best and do whatever the coaches ask. But my mindset is basically the same.
“We just go about our business. Coaches coach us and we just go out there and play.”
Head coach Bill Belichick felt the need Wednesday to underscore the fact that Brady will reassume the starter’s role for Week 5’s game at Cleveland. As if anyone needed such assurance.
How well Garoppolo can perform in the interim is this team’s burning training-camp question.
The 24-year-old is entering his third year as a pro, after a quiet college career at NCAA second-division Eastern Illinois. The Pats made him the fifth quarterback selected in the 2014 NFL draft, in the second round, 62nd overall.
He stands 6-foot-2, but looks shorter. In his cameos with the Patriots he has looked good at times. But just at times.
All he can do now is, well, pick your cliché. Because he sure is.
“I’m just trying to go out there and get my game right, trying to get the offence ready as much as we can,” Garoppolo said. “We’ve got a long way to go. Training camp is a grind, but we got to get through it.”
Bromides aside, Garoppolo did not hesitate to share his excitement about the month-long starting opportunity.
“(I’m) very excited ... That’s why we play the game.
“You don’t get many opportunities in this league. You might only get one, so you’ve got to make the best of it.”
He did assure the press that his comfort level compared to his rookie year is “not even close.”
“Three years in the same offence, same team, same organization — you just get used to things, and things come more naturally to you.”
Veteran Patriots safety Devin McCourty on Wednesday provided specific evidence of that.
“The cool thing with seeing Jimmy, I was a veteran when he came in as a rookie and he’s just been developing. Each time he steps on the field he gets better and better,” McCourty said.
“You just see him making great decisions, putting the ball where only the receiver can get it. Things like that, to me, stick out when you watch a young quarterback keep getting better. Looking off safeties, being able to get in the right play, you can see it.”
Garoppolo (pronounced Ga-ROPP-alo) completed a slew of nice passes on Wednesday, many to the hearty cheers of the gathered blue-and-red faithful.
“I love coming out here to these fans. It makes practice so much better,” Garoppolo said. “It’s just exciting, makes everyone compete harder and makes for a fun atmosphere.”
Now, if only people could learn how to properly spell his name with consistency. After four games of starting NFL games come October, maybe we all will.
“It’s a tough (name), so we’ll see,” he said.