Garoppolo began his NFL career as a second-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2014. Over a decade later, it may be time for a return.
The Patriots obviously have their quarterback in Drake Maye, who led the team to Super Bowl LX last season and was an MVP finalist. However, New England’s backup options aren’t ideal. Naturally, New England hopes that Maye will stay healthy all season, but if he can’t, it’ll have to turn to Tommy DeVito or seventh-round rookie Behren Morton.
Adding Garoppolo would give New England a much more reliable backup option. While Garoppolo only started two games during his time with the Patriots, he spent three seasons with the franchise and three years under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who returned to New England last offseason.
McDaniels and Garoppolo were also together during the 2023 season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
While the McDaniels-Garoppolo connection would be a big piece of the equation for New England, it’s also worth noting that the Patriots have a history of bringing back former backups for quarterback depth.
Jacoby Brissett was drafted by the Patriots in 2016 and made a return in 2024, while Brian Hoyer had three different multi-year stints in New England. The franchise clearly values familiarity, and Garoppolo would provide it.