NFL Rumors: League-Wide Quarterback Shuffle Could Bring Jimmy Garoppolo Back To The Patriots

The NFL has begun what is expected to be an offseason of unprecedented quarterback shuffling, with Matthew Stafford already headed to the Los Angeles Rams in a massive deal and a number of other starters likely to switch teams in the coming months. For the New England Patriots, the carousel could end up bringing Jimmy Garoppolo back to the team that first drafted him, one report speculates.

Mike Reiss, who covers the Patriots for ESPN, speculated that Garoppolo could be the best fit for New England as the franchise looks for a replacement for Cam Newton. He noted that the club would likely be interested in Deshaun Watson, should the Houston Texans grant his request for a trade, but acknowledged that it seems unlikely that the Texans would send him within the conference.

That leaves Garoppolo as a more likely option, he added.

“Garoppolo is probably the Patriots’ best option in terms of fit and what it would take to acquire him (less than a first-rounder). But there’s no guarantee San Francisco is willing to move him, unless something potentially better comes along,” he wrote.

There had long been speculation that San Francisco would be ready to move on from Garoppolo, who has struggled with injuries.

Reiss noted that the Patriots would be strongly positioned to make a move, with more than $50 million in protected salary cap space for next season, which could give them an advantage over other teams as the salary cap is expected to shrink.

Though Stafford is no longer available, there have been rumors connecting the 49ers to other signal callers. As The Inquisitr reported, there are some insiders who believe the team could target Aaron Rodgers, who expressed some disappointment with the Packers at the conclusion of the season.

There has been some reporting suggesting that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick wanted to keep Garoppolo rather than sending him off to the 49ers. As ESPN reported back in 2018, team owner Robert Kraft told Belichick that Garoppolo, then Tom Brady’s backup, would not be in the franchise’s long-term plans, which left Belichick “furious and demoralized.” The Patriots have no clear roadmap at quarterback now, with Newton not expected to return and Jarrett Stidham failing to impress in his more limited opportunities.

The uncertainty has worked its way down to some of the New England players, with safety Devin McCourty saying on his Double Coverage podcast that he’s not sure what the plans are for next season.

“There’s a lot of teams that need quarterbacks. We’re going to be in that race,” McCourty said, via ESPN.

“Does Cam [Newton] come back? Do we get a new quarterback? No one knows that.”