Jimmy Garoppolo Throws Shade at Bill Belichick in Pointed Comments

As the NFL preseason continues, it can be fun to check in on how former New England Patriots are doing. One of the more well-known ex-Pats who's still around is Jimmy Garoppolo, who was cut by the Las Vegas Raiders before signing a one-year contract with the LA Rams this offseason.

Garoppolo was once viewed as Tom Brady's heir apparent after being drafted 62nd overall in 2014. Things didn't work out for 'Jimmy G' in New England though, resulting in the former Eastern Illinois gunslinger splitting the last seven seasons between the Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.

On Monday, Garoppolo shed some more light on his Patriots tenure, which involved shade being thrown towards his former head coach.

Patriots News: Jimmy Garoppolo Shades Bill Belichick

In an interview with The Athletic's Jeff Howe, Garoppolo described how much he's enjoyed his short time with the Rams. The 32-year-old praised the franchise for allowing players to be themselves while emphasizing how the LA staff pushes its players "positively."

It's at the point where Garoppolo is even finding Rams team meetings to be enjoyable, which isn't something you hear too often from NFL players.

"Everyone wants to perform well. [The Rams] do it in the right way here. They push you positively. There’s just a lot of good things going on, man. I’m enjoying every bit of it. Even the meetings are a good time. Everything is going good right now."

- Jimmy Garoppolo

Although the veteran signal-caller didn't name any specific people, it isn't hard to see his subtle shade during his time with the Patriots. Former head coach/general manager Bill Belichick has a reputation for being a control freak and wanting his players to act a certain way. It's a big reason why Tom Brady's personality was allowed to shine immediately after he left the Pats for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Garoppolo only spent three seasons with the Patriots before being traded to the 49ers for a 2018 second-round pick. He went on to play 64 games (61 starts) for the 49ers and Raiders across the last seven seasons, playing to a 41-20 record while throwing for 14,804 yards, 89 touchdowns, 51 interceptions, and a 97.2 passer rating. He led San Francisco to a 4-2 postseason record with a Super Bowl appearance during that stretch.

It'll be interesting to see what type of impact playing for Sean McVay's Rams has on Garoppolo's career moving forward. The two-time Super Bowl champion is looking to turn his career around after being suspended for two games earlier this offseason after violating the performance-enhancing drug policy.

New England fans will have the opportunity to see Garoppolo and his new team this fall. The Patriots will host the Rams at Gillette Stadium when they meet for a 1 p.m. showdown in Week 11.

Even though that matchup is three months away, oddsmakers have already released the odds. As August continues, the Patriots are projected to be 4-point home underdogs when they face the Rams in November, per DraftKings Sportsbook.

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