Tom Brady is nearing the halfway mark of his 4-game suspension in the NFL but he could soon get replaced fulltime by Jimmy Garoppolo. Last week, the temporary starter quarterback was able to successfully lead the New England Patriots in pulling an upset over the Arizona Cardinals.
On Sunday, the Patriots went head-to-head against the Cardinals and were able to secure a win with a final score of 23-21.
For the first four weeks of the season, Garoppolo has been named as the team's starter. And so far, he's doing a pretty good job in leading the team.
"He did his job," Patriots receiver Julian Edelman said. "He went out there and took command of the huddle and made plays when he had to."
"He's got quiet the confidence, and everybody on his team has confidence in him," defensive end Chris Long added. "We just knew if we stuck to our game plan, we'd have a chance to win it in the end. He made some really gutsy plays to help us win."
Garoppolo's ability to lay down quick plays and read the field to look for his receivers has really impressed the New England organization. If he keeps this up, he might soon be named as the Patriots' main passer, even if Brady is already back from his suspension.
The young athlete, who joined the league and the Patriots in 2014 as the 62nd overall pick, played a total of 6 games during his rookie year. During those games, he was able to complete 19 out of 27 passes for 182 yards.
Currently, his backup is Jacoby Brisset. But, if he continues to win games for the Patriots, Brisset could be pushed back as the team's third-string QB to make way for Brady at the No. 2 spot.
This is certainly a very possible scenario for the Patriots especially given the fact that Brady is already 39 years old. It's only a matter of time before he retires from professional football.
As for the veteran QB, he's currently preparing for his 2016 debut by keeping in shape.
"I'm just trying to stay in football shape because it's football season, to find ways to have some people I work with, with bags, to hit me and be able to make throws with the people chasing after you, to work on my mechanics, to keep my movement in the pocket, my drops fluid, all those things," he said.