Jimmy Garoppolo understands the business of the NFL as well as any quarterback, but his thoughts on Tom Brady’s impending free agency seem an awful lot like the ones the rest of us have.
Garoppolo was asked at the Super Bowl about the possibility of Brady leaving New England, and the 49ers star said it would be tough to imagine his former teammate in any uniform other than a Patriots one. However, Garoppolo admitted he is “curious” to see how the situation plays out.
Jimmy G on Tom Brady's free agency: "I think everyone's curious. … It'll be hard to see him in anything but a Patriots uniform."
Added he wanted to thank Patriots from introducing him to NFL, but "this 49ers team has a story of our own."
— Jeremy Bergman (@JABergman) January 28, 2020
There appears to already be some posturing going on with Brady and the Patriots. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said recently that he believes the Patriots are going to want an answer from Brady before the official start of free agency, while other reports claim Brady is looking forward to meeting with other teams and experiencing the process for the first time in his career.
Ultimately, it probably makes the most sense for both sides if Brady returns. The Patriots do not appear to have their quarterback of the future on the roster, so drafting one this year and having him learn behind Brady would seem like the ideal scenario. Some believe Brady wants top dollar for the first time in his career, but he really just wants a supporting case that can contend for a championship. He did not have that this year, and it resulted in an early playoff exit.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft may have given a hint about the team’s intentions with Brady this week, but the situation will become more complicated the longer it drags out.
