Lay off Jimmy Garoppolo. He is not soft. He is smart. Early Sunday morning Garoppolo went to Gillette Stadium to test his arm and found there wasn’t enough power in the shoulder for him to go against the Bills. Heck, there wasn’t enough there for him to dress.
There are those microphone and armchair warriors that feel he should have rubbed some spit on it and taken the field.
Why?
It appears the team wanted him to start by waiting to last possible minute to make a decision Sunday. The reality in the NFL is once a player cannot - in the case of a quarterback - throw anymore, they are tossed aside like an improperly deflated football.
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Garoppolo is looking out for himself just as the team looks out for their interests. That’s life. Jimmy G. had nothing to gain by “gutting it out” for the team.
He has already won the lottery. I understand six quarters against Arizona and Miami does not make a Hall of Famer, but in this quarterback- starved league it does make for a very wealthy Jimmy Garoppolo.
New England Patriots
If he starts over Jacoby Brissett on Sunday and plays poorly, he may be commended for playing hurt. But if his numbers dropped down, so may his value. Plus, what happens if he really damages that million dollar arm of his? His career could be over. Again, a million dollar arm is not what it used to be.
After seeing what the NFL can do to a man physically and mentally, I completely understand when a player does not take the field.