While Brady eschewed the microphones Wednesday after training camp’s first practice concluded, Garoppolo took centre stage.
Advertisement
“We’ve got a long way to go”, said Garoppolo, knowing that he will have to be ready in a little more than six weeks. Week 1, we’ve still got a long way to go.
It is still very early in training camp though, and Garoppolo has more than a month to prepare before he is thrown into the fire against the Arizona Cardinals for real.
While Tom Brady is going through training camp, once the regular season begins, he’ll serve his four-game suspension for Deflategate, meaning Garoppolo will be the starter. “There’s so much that we can learn from having him around”. “You don’t get many opportunities in this league, you might only get one, so you’ve got to make the best of it”.
But at least for the first few days of camp, it’s not going to seem much different.
At that point, the same reporter asked Belichick what would happen if Garoppolo plays better. “We go through a strenuous examination of all those guys before we even bring them in, and if we feel like they have the opportunity to learn what we do, and perform well in it, then we have an opportunity to do it”. “We all rotate in and out – first group, second group, everyone’s rotating”. “Even rookie year compared to this year, my mindset is still the same. He’s just a competitor, a hard worker, which is always great, which always goes good with the team when you have someone that wants it and goes out there and competes”. “But that just comes with experience, though”. Here are 10 things to know about the quarterback.
“Nothing has really changed”, Garoppolo said, noting he had gone through a similar situation last summer while Brady first appealed the decision in the courts.
Of course, Garoppolo had the Patriots’ dynamic – and terrifying, if you’re an opposing defensive coordinator – tandem of tight ends in Rob Gronkowski and ex-Giant Martellus Bennett as his top targets. “Coaches coach us and we just go out there and play”.
Advertisement
“It’s exciting, that’s for sure”, said Garoppolo.
