Bill Belichick confirms Jimmy Garoppolo will not be taking Tom Brady’s job
Bill Belichick typically gives reporters as little information as possible when it comes to discussing strategy, but he is making an exception in the wake of Tom Brady’s four-game suspension to begin the season.
At his introductory training camp press conference on Wednesday, Belichick told reporters that backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is not going to take Brady’s job no matter how well he plays in the first four weeks.
Belichick: "Our priority is to get Jimmy ready for the start of the season. … Tom will come back as our starting quarterback."
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) July 27, 2016
It’s unusual for the New England Patriots coach to address something that openly, but this is an unusual situation. Yes, we all know Brady’s Hall of Fame career started when he filled in for an injured Drew Bledsoe and led the team to a Super Bowl championship, never looking back. But Drew Bledsoe was not a four-time Super Bowl champion and three-time Super Bowl MVP at the time.
Belichick wants to avoid the distraction of reporters asking him every week if Garoppolo could steal Brady’s job. When Brady was playing poorly two seasons ago, Belichick had one of his best reactions ever (video here) when asked if he is evaluating the quarterback position. We’d love to see a reporter ask him again at some point between now and Week 5.
