Jimmy Garoppolo Excited for Patriots Preseason Opener
All eyes will be on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo when the New England Patriots host the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night in the club’s opening preseason game at Gillette Stadium.
With Tom Brady’s future hanging in the balance, the team will look for the second-year man to show some positive progression. But according to those taking in camp each day, the second-year man has struggled.
“Right now in training camp practices, he hasn’t looked like a capable NFL quarterback,” said Andy Hart of Garoppolo during an appearance on CSNNE.
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With that said, the Patriots have no option but to play Garaoppolo early and often against the Packers. If Brady’s suspension is held up, the team’s only other option is the recently-signed Ryan Lindley. Garoppolo needs the in-game experience to grown and develop into viable starter.
So how much will the team play him?
“Good question. I don’t know. We’ll find out Thursday,” Garoppolo said when asked about how much he expects to play in the opening tuneup. “Practice is fun and everything, but the game’s are what we play for. It’s exciting. Thursday’s going to be fun,” he added.
If Garoppolo’s recent struggles in practice are an indication of things to come, the Patriots could be in for some rough sailing. In the team’s final padded practice ahead of the Packers tilt, Garoppolo completed 12 of 20 passes and tossed two interceptions in 11-on-11 drills, according to the Boston Herald.
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Garoppolo has been taking the majority of the first-team reps in practice, but has exhibited some growing pains. Nevertheless, the team is confident with him as their temporary starter moving forward.
“I think Jimmy is working hard. I think he’s making progress,” head coach Bill Belichick told the media.
Garoppolo has taken a liken to Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola. He seems to be looking their way more often than not in practice though, those targets will most likely be sitting out against the Packers.