Making the case why Jimmy G should be Seahawks QB of the future
The Master’s Apprentice
Jimmy Garoppolo actually has one of the cooler stories of someone making it and being successful in the NFL. One of the rare Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision to make the jump to the NFL. As a senior at Eastern Illinois, Garoppolo threw for 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns. His stellar season earned him the FCS National Quarterback of the Year, as well as the Walter Payton Award, the FCS’s version of the Heisman Trophy to the best player in college football.
Even as an FCS product, Garoppolo’s talent was undeniable. In the 2nd round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Jimmy was selected by the New England Patriots. The understudy to the most successful quarterback and franchise in NFL history, it looked like a perfect fit for Jimmy to learn and develop…and it kind of was.
Winning the infamous Super Bowl 49 as a rookie backup QB in the 2014 season, Jimmy’s value to the Patriots didn’t show up until Tom Brady served his four-game deflate-gate suspension at the start of the 2016 season. Jimmy would start and play really well and lead the Patriots to victories in their first two games. He would suffer a shoulder injury at the end of their week two victory, but the secret was out, Jimmy can play.
As the season progressed more and more rumors began to circulate about Jimmy and Tom’s futures. Brady appeared to be nearing the end of his run (sorry that’s just funny to write considering it’s been five years since this season), and the question was whether the Patriots were ready to move on from Brady, or trade Jimmy and trust Brady could continue to deliver.
Those questions were answered, as Brady led New England to another Super Bowl championship, the improbable 28-3 comeback over Atlanta.
With Brady clearly not leaving anytime soon, the Garoppolo sweepstakes began. Three seasons, two championship rings, and a wealth of knowledge and experience working with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady had made Jimmy one of the more desirable quarterbacks on the market in recent memory.
Early in the 2017 season, the San Francisco 49ers pulled the trigger, acquiring Garoppolo in exchange for a 2nd round pick. The Jimmy G era had begun.
From a Seahawks perspective, it’s clear Jimmy could have been a starting quarterback since the 2016 season. The fact that he didn’t play and instead sat and learned behind the play and minds of Tom Brady, Josh McDaniels, and Bill Belicheck is a major confidence boost in the potential signing.
Not only did he learn from the best, but he also should have a lot more in the tank than the typical starting QB that starts at age 24 and has a few hundred sacks on their back by the time they reach age 30.