Why Patriots Should Reunite With This Former QB As Drake Maye’s Backup
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The Patriots have had a solid offseason, addressing key needs in their offensive line and receiving core. However, it might also be wise to add another quarterback to the roster.
There’s nothing wrong with Drake Maye, and after last season, he should be one of the top quarterbacks in the league this year. But it can’t hurt to bring in more protection, just in case Maye goes down with an injury.
New England should consider bringing in a backup quarterback with starting experience, and Jimmy Garoppolo might be the best option available.
The Patriots picked Garoppolo as the 62nd overall choice in the 2014 NFL Draft, later trading him to the San Francisco 49ers in 2017. With an okay history as a starter in the NFL, he has started in 64 games over 12 seasons. Notably, Garoppolo led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance during the 2019-20 season.
Garoppolo recently spent the last two seasons as a backup to Matthew Stafford with the Los Angeles Rams, but he is now a free agent. New England re-signed backup quarterback Tommy DeVito and still has Josh Dobbs lined up as their No. 2 quarterback. However, neither DeVito nor Dobbs is an ideal long-term backup option.
The Patriots could manage by starting either Dobbs or DeVito for a few weeks if Maye were to get injured, but they can't truly depend on either of them to start more than four games and still expect to be a playoff team.
Garoppolo may not be able to start all 17 games anymore, but he could still provide the Patriots with about four to six solid performances and keep them in the playoff hunt.
Another factor is that Garoppolo is familiar with the offensive scheme, working with Josh McDaniels in New England from 2014 to 2017. As a result, he wouldn't have much to learn when adapting to the system.
New England likely won't pursue Garoppolo, but it should consider adding a stronger backup quarterback. The Patriots are poised to be one of the best teams in the league this season, and any injury to Maye could derail their chances if they don’t have the right backup in place.
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