Garoppolo returns to New England.
Three Octobers ago, Bill Belichick traded Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers.
Rather than express any seller’s remorse, Belichick spoke Monday about how “happy” he is for Garoppolo, who returns to face New England on Sunday for the first time since that 2017 Halloween deal.
“I’m glad that it’s worked out for him in San Francisco. I hope it doesn’t work out on Sunday,” Belichick said Monday on a conference call with Bay Area media. “But otherwise, I’m
happy he’s had an opportunity to play for a great coach and a great organization and play on a great team.
“He deserves that. He’s certainly worked hard and earned it. I’m happy for him and his family.”
Belichick and his Patriots coaching staff have yet to study how Garoppolo and the 49ers (3-3) bounced back Sunday night in a 2416 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
But Belichick knows what
a “quality player” Garoppolo is. He says that last year’s run to the Super Bowl reflects that, as does the 49ers’ confidence in the quarterback by way of the five-year, $137.5 million contract Garoppolo signed in 2018.
Belichick refrained from rehashing the 2017 trade that netted the Patriots a secondround draft pick, which they parlayed into multiple ensuing trades that netted them a handful of players, including Jarrett Stidham, New England’s current backup to Cam Newton.
Belichick was expansive, however, when explaining what attracted them to Garoppolo, selected with a 2014 second-round pick out of Eastern Illinois.
“We liked his personal characteristics, his intelligence, his toughness, his work ethic, his playing skill,” Belichick recalled.
“He came from a situation where we thought he’d need some development, and I think he did. But he worked very hard to improve, particularly playing under center, dropping back under center, his mechanics, and turning his back on a defense. Things like that you don’t do all the time when you’re in shotgun all the time, like he was in college. Reading coverages and seeing things at this level that are a lot different from college.”
Garoppolo started only two games with the Patriots in his 31/2 seasons as Tom Brady’s backup, both coming at the beginning of the 2016 season while Brady served his “Deflategate” suspension. Garoppolo did not finish his Week 2 start after sustaining a shoulder sprain.
“He handled that well. He showed a lot of toughness and leadership in the opportunities he got to play for us or practice,” Belichick added. “When Tom wasn’t able to practice sometimes during the week, he’d step in there and did things at a very high level.
“Everybody here had a lot of confidence in him. It’s one of those situations where you’re just not able to keep all the players based on how the system is set up. It’s understandable.”
Even after the trade, Belichick has kept in contact “every now and again” with Garoppolo via text.
“Just congratulations, things like that. ‘Keep things going,’ ” Garoppolo recalled on Super Bowl opening night in Miami in late January. “Coach and I, we had a great relationship. Great guy. Very honest. Very straightforward. I always appreciated him for that.”
Garoppolo called it “an honor” to exchange texts with the six-time champion Belichick.
Sunday’s win over the Rams gave Garoppolo a needed momentum boost for his upcoming return to New England.
“It’ll be cool to get back to the old stomping grounds and see some familiar faces,” Garoppolo said after the win. “We’ll enjoy this one (Sunday night) and get on film for the Patriots (Monday). This will give us a little momentum, but next week will be another dogfight.”
Of Garoppolo’s 268 passing yards Sunday, 226 came after the catch, according to NextGen Stats. The shortpassing game worked to perfection from a production standpoint as well as a safety measure to keep the Rams and NFL sack leader Aaron Donald from hitting Garoppolo, who lasted only the first half of the previous game in his return from a Sept. 20 ankle sprain.
As he approaches his trade’s third anniversary, Garoppolo is still learning to mesh with coach Kyle Shanahan, having joined a winless club in 2017 and missing most of ’18 with a knee injury.
“It almost felt like last year felt like our first year together,” Shanahan said. “Coming off his injury, he had a heck of a year getting us all the way to the Super Bowl. Now we’re here. It’s like we’ve been with each other for four seasons but it just feels like one full one.
“You always want more time with that. You get closer and learn more about each other through all the experiences you go through. This year is a different year. He played a heck of a game last night. I know he’s pumped to go to New England. I haven’t been there for a while, either. I’m looking forward to watching him there.”
Garoppolo’s deep-ball accuracy remains his biggest wart. Panned for overthrowing Emmanuel Sanders with the Super Bowl on the line, Garoppolo has a 16.4 passer rating this season on attempts of at least 15 yards, completing 4 of 15 for 104 yards with no TDs and two interceptions, according to The Associated Press. MOSTERT OUT >> Raheem Mostert is exiting the lineup again. Sunday’s high-ankle sprain will keep their leading rusher from the trip to New England, and he likely will go onto a short-term injured reserve list, Shanahan said. This injury-stricken season has caught up to the offensive line, too. Center Ben Garland (calf) is ticketed for IR until he recovers in perhaps a month, and left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) is being evaluated after his previously undisclosed injury in the 49ers’ 24-16 win over the Los Angeles Rams.