Getty Julian Edelman
W
hen asked about Jimmy Garoppolo, New England Patriots legend Julian Edelman didn’t mince his words.
In 2016, New England was without Tom Brady who had been suspended due to “Deflategate” for four games. This meant that Garoppolo had a prime opportunity to show what he was capable of.
ALL the latest Patriots news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Patriots newsletter here!
But in Weeks 3 and 4 of the season, Garoppolo was sidelined with a shoulder injury which meant Jacoby Brissett, who was battling a thumb injury, stepped in.
Edelman was asked about the situation when appearing on the “I Am Athlete” podcast.
“I mean, I don’t know we’re all football players here,” Edelman responded when asked if Garoppolo’s injury to his non-throwing shoulder was a serious concern. “So we go into Week 4 and Jimmy was practicing and then decided not to play. Jacoby played with no ligaments in his thumb, which you can’t do that as a quarterback.
“A lot of guys got mad at it. I’m not going to lie, I got mad about it,” Edelman continued. “I sacrificed my body all day long. I was taking shots for this, numbing up that, ribs, broken ribs, shoulders, Grade 3 hanging on by limbs just to play. I can understand why Marty (Bennett) thinks like that.”
What did Martellus Bennett Say?
Bennett was the first former Patriot to call out Garoppolo. Back in 2021, the former New England tight end appeared on the “Double Coverage” podcast hosted by Devin and Jason McCourty.
“Bro, we lost two games (without Brady),” Bennett stated although the Patriots actually only lost one. “One of them was because Jimmy Garoppolo was being a b****. He quit before, decided not to play right before the game. Jacoby (Brissett) came out and played with a f*****-up thumb and played his heart out, but Jimmy was just being a b**** about it all.”
What Is Garoppolo’s Current Situation?
Ever since being traded to the San Franscisco 49ers, Garoppolo has had a rollercoaster of a career. The quarterback is coming off one of his best seasons in San Francisco as he threw for 3,810 yards and 20 touchdowns and helped bring the 49ers all the way to the NFC Championship Round where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
But Garoppolo has somehow found himself on the trade block. San Francisco drafted Trey Lance in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. In minicamp, Lance has been working with the starters and Garoppolo is now on the outside looking in ahead of 2022. To add insult to injury, he is entering the last year of his contract and is owed $26.95 million.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is reporting that Garoppolo is on schedule in terms of beginning to throw soon.
“Once this happens and Garoppolo can pass a physical, the trade market for him could heat up,” ESPN wrote on Saturday.
So it’s clear that in 2016, many members of the organization were upset with Garoppolo and him not playing through the pain. With that in mind, it makes sense that the quarterback was traded relatively soon after the incident.