New England Patriots: Belichick Was Furious Over Garoppolo Trade

By now most people have caught wind of the fantastic New England Patriots piece by ESPN columnist Seth Wickersham. If you haven’t, read it.

It details how amidst a record-shattering run of success for arguably the best dynasty in NFL history, the three men most responsible for it in Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft have seen their relationships fray to a breaking point. So many things have created tension from the situation regarding Brady’s controversial personal trainer to a behind-the-scenes power struggle over who is ultimately responsible for their legacy.

Perhaps the most explosive section though regarded former backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Many inside and outside the Patriots building thought the team was angling for him to be the successor to Brady in the near future. Their refusal to trade him in the 2017 off-season was a clear indicator of that. Then everything shifted when New England surprisingly dealt him to the San Francisco 49ers for a high 2nd round pick.

Initially people thought that was just the Patriots being the Patriots. Brady had proven he was still himself during the first half of the season. Thus the team felt more secure in the move. However, as Garoppolo has taken off out west there is a growing undercurrent of belief that they made a huge mistake. None feel it, and knew it, more than the head coach.

Belichick did not want to trade Garoppolo but had no choice

According to Wickersham Belichick had initially planned to keep Garoppolo. Always the one to keep his eyes down the road, it was clear the coach saw the potential of what the young quarterback could be. He was their bridge to the future, a legacy for Belichick to leave behind as Bill Walsh did with Steve Young in San Francisco. Instead Kraft, pressured by Brady, forced the trade to take place. Belichick was not happy.

"“And complicating matters even more was that Belichick didn’t want to trade Garoppolo. He had passed on dealing him last spring, when Garoppolo was in high demand. In early September, Belichick did trade third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett to the Colts for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett. “If we trade Jimmy, we’re the Cleveland Browns, with no succession plan,” one person inside the organization said earlier in the year……Two weeks before the Nov. 1 trading deadline, Belichick met with Kraft to discuss the quarterback situation. According to staffers, the meeting ran long, lasting half the day and pushing back Belichick’s other meetings. The office was buzzing. The meeting ended with a clear mandate to Belichick: trade Garoppolo because he would not be in the team’s long-term plans, and then, once again, find the best quarterback in the draft and develop him. Belichick was furious and demoralized, according to friends. But in the end, he did what he asks of his players and coaches: He did his job.”"

Indeed even as the Patriots appear to once again be favorites for the Super Bowl, the sense of optimism has diminished. While their ability to contend right now is strong, their future looks considerably less bright. Keep in mind it took the Patriots a long time to find and cultivate Garoppolo. The odds of them finding another of his caliber before Brady finally calls it a career aren’t exactly in their favor.

Next: 2018 NFL Season: Ranking the Head Coaching Jobs Available

Belichick appeared to know that. It’s another reminder of how he’s always think four or five moves ahead of everybody else.