Tom Brady's verdict on Jimmy Garoppolo speaks volumes amid injury concerns

17 October 2023 , 17:47

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Garoppolo was Brady's backup from 2014 to 2016

Legendary former NFL quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady has always believed Jimmy Garoppolo has handled setbacks within his career gracefully.

Garoppolo did not fully play in the Las Vegas Raiders Week 6 matchup against the New England Patriots due to a back injury sustained in the second quarter of the game. Garoppolo was taken to the hospital after Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai hit him. Before the injury, the Raiders QB completed 14 of 22 for 162 yards and threw a touchdown to Jakobi Meyers. He also threw for an interception.

Brady has consistently commended Garoppolo's efforts on the field, dating back to his time as backup from 2014 to 2016. After being traded to the San Francisco 49ers, Garoppolo underwent major shoulder surgery. However, Brady's verdict on Garoppolo then still holds true today regarding his current back issues.

"I think anytime you deal with the adversity that he has dealt with, he had a major shoulder injury, he had a thumb injury in the playoffs last year. Then all he hears is that he is going to get traded," said Brady in March. "Next thing you know, he is the starting quarterback for the same team. And I think he has handled this situation extremely well. Handled it with a lot of dignity with a lot of grace. And he has gone out there and helped the team win games."

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After leaving the 49ers, Garoppolo agreed to a three-year contract with the Las Vegas team for $67.5 million (£55.43m). However, before the deal was finalised, Raiders doctors discovered that Garoppolo's broken left foot from December needed surgery. A waiver was added to the contract that states the Raiders can release Garoppolo and not pay him anything if his departure is related to the foot injury.

Injuries have been a recurring issue in his career, and he has played 15 or more games only twice during his six-year tenure with the 49ers. Last year, Garoppolo's season-ending foot surgery played a significant role in Brock Purdy's rise to prominence in San Francisco.

Garoppolo has sustained over 10 injuries in the past seven years. He also entered concussion protocols this season after a Week 4 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to the injury history and data analysis of Draft Sharks, Garoppolo was at a very high risk for injury heading into the season, with a 65 percent chance that he will miss at least two games.

Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the Las Vegas Raiders has had 10 major injuries in his 10 year career

On Monday, raiders coach Josh McDaniels said that he believes Garoppolo " dodged a bullet " regarding internal injuries. He also noted that the team is still determining if Garoppolo will be ready to play against the Chicago Bears in Week 7.

"There was some concern yesterday that it was an internal issue," McDaniels told reporters. "So we did a bunch of scans yesterday, last night. Seems like we dodged a big bullet in that regard. That's good news."

"We're still doing a couple things this morning, and we'll kind of make sure we do all the right things here as we go forward. The prognosis is a lot better than it might have otherwise been. Don't yet for this week, relatively speaking. So there's a lot still to, I'd say, uncover in that regard, but good news relative to what it might have been."

Rory Robinson