Belichick: With Brady, Patriots had no spot for developing QB
Part of the NFL’s primary appeal is that it is a soap opera, with drama and intrigue doled out in weekly episodes.
And this week, the 49ers at New England, is a particularly juicy episode, dripping with past connections, messy divorce and new love.
Sunday will mark the first time that Jimmy Garoppolo plays his former team, the Patriots. But this isn’t just any reunion of a player and his onetime team. This is the return of the guy who was supposed to be the Patriots’ starting quarterback, right now, in the post Tom Brady era.
“It will be cool,” Garoppolo said Sunday night, after leading the 49ers to a rebound victory over the Rams. “You know, getting back to the old stomping grounds. See some familiar faces. … This win will definitely give us a little momentum, but next week is going to be another dogfight.”
The Patriots are 23, a record they haven’t had after five games in 19 seasons. Going back to the final game of last season and their wild card playoff game, New England has lost five of its last seven games. It is a very unfamiliar look for the Patriots — no Brady, struggling for success — and it makes for a particularly dramatic time for Garoppolo to pay a visit.
Garoppolo, 28, was widely expected to be Brady’s successor. But he was long gone by the time Brady, now 43, finally cut ties with New England in March after 20 seasons, nine Super Bowl appearances and six championships.
Now, close to the threeyear anniversary of the 49ers’ trade for Garoppolo, the behindthescenes machinations still seem
“It’s one of those situations where you’re not able to keep all the players in the system that is set up.” Bill Belichick, Patriots coach, on trading Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers
worthy of a telenovela.
The drama was laid out in an ESPN story in January of 2018 that drew back the curtain on the league’s alpha franchise. At the time the story was dismissed by Patriots’ loyalists but, in retrospect, it telegraphed all that came to pass, taking two years to play out.
The story detailed the fraying of the relationship between Brady and his franchise. As tensions mounted, coach Bill Belichick met with owner Robert Kraft before the 2017 trading deadline and, according to the report, was given the mandate to trade Garoppolo because Kraft insisted the young quarterback wouldn’t factor in the team’s longterm plans. Reportedly, Belichick did not want to trade Garoppolo but — if forced — wanted to make sure the quarterback landed in a good spot.
Belichick respects Kyle Shanahan, has a longtime and fond relationship with Kyle’s father, Mike, and pulled the trigger on the Halloween trade for a secondround pick, far less than previous offers.
We know it changed the fortunes of the 49ers. But it may also have changed the fortunes of the Patriots. Because 29 months after the trade, Brady left for Tampa Bay and rather than turn to a homegrown successor, the Patriots signed Cam Newton.
At February’s Super Bowl, 49ers general manager John Lynch described his pretrade conversations with Belichick about Garoppolo.
“‘ You’re going to love this kid, his teammates love him,’ ” Lynch remembered Belichick saying. “And Bill is not prone to hyperbole. He doesn’t say things just to say them. If he says something, he means it.”
Garoppolo and Belichick continue to have a bromance. Belichick texted him with congratulations after each of his early starts with the 49ers. At Super Bowl media night, Garoppolo said the texting has continued.
“It’s every now and again,” Garoppolo said. “There’s no real rhyme or reason to it. It is just whenever he feels like it. … Just ‘ congratulations, keep this thing going.’ … We had a great relationship. Great guy. Very honest. Very straightforward. I always appreciated that.”
In a conference call on Monday, Belichick declined comment on his texts, saying he kept his private conversations with players to himself. He chose not to shed any new light on the Garoppolo trade or the circumstances behind it.
“We’ve moved on from that,” Belichick said. “That was a long time ago. … I have respect for Kyle and his dad. I go all the way back with Mike. I’ve known the family for a long time.”
But, later in the call, normally tightlipped Belichick opened up a bit. He gushed about George Kittle. And then was effusive about Garoppolo.
“We liked him — his personal characteristics, his intelligence, toughness, work ethic, playing skill,” Belichick said. “He worked very hard to improve. ... He showed a lot of toughness and leadership in the opportunities he got to play or to practice.
“It’s one of those situations where you’re not able to keep all the players in the system that is set up. That’s understandable. I’m glad it’s worked out for him in S. F. I hope it doesn’t work out for him on Sunday, but I’m happy for him. Happy he has the opportunity to play for a great coach and a great team. He certainly earned that. He worked really hard for us. I’m happy for him and his family.”
On Monday, Shanahan echoed some of Belichick’s praise, commending Garoppolo for his mental toughness during times of adversity and his leadership and focus.
By sending him to a different conference, Belichick ensured that he wouldn’t face his former quarterback often.
This is the first time. An episode full of drama, and a little bit of bromance.