New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady no longer shares a locker room with Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett and many other quarterbacks who've served as his backup, but the 42-year-old veteran still cheers them on from a distance.
Brady was asked Monday night during his weekly Westwood One Radio interview with Jim Gray about which of his former backup quarterbacks is the best? The six-time Super Bowl champion responded by saying he cherishes the relationships he's built with these former teammates, and that he consistently pays attention to how they're doing.
“Aw man, that’s a tough question," Brady admitted. "You know, when Jimmy was with me, he was very young. It was his rookie year. He got a great opportunity with the (San Francisco 49ers). He’s still really trying to establish himself and his career, but everything that he has done has been very exceptional. Jacoby Brissett, look what he’s done. Goes to the (Kansas City) Chiefs (on Sunday night) and wins a game. Matt Cassel had an incredible career. Brian Hoyer’s backing up Jacoby Brissett.
"There’s just been a lot of great guys that I’ve played with that are still all my great friends, and I watch them and I cheer for them every week. We exchange texts and emails. Again, I think what’s mattered most to me is relationships, the brotherhood that I have with all these guys. So, you share this room, it’s a very intimate room, and we’re all competitors and we all want to play. The guys that move on to other teams, I can see things that we’ve talked about that carry over to other teams. It’s just a great feeling. I’ll be buddies with these guys for the rest of my life.”
The Patriots' 2016 quarterback depth chart of Brady, Garoppolo and Brissett is looking mighty impressive entering Week 6 of the 2019 season.
Brady (5-0) and Garoppolo (4-0) are the starting QBs for the only two unbeaten teams remaining. Brissett has impressed, too, stepping in for the retired Andrew Luck and leading the Indianapolis Colts to a 3-2 record, and most recently a Week 5 win on the road against a previously unbeaten Chiefs squad.
New England Patriots
A playoff matchup featuring Brady going up against Garoppolo or Brissett would make for plenty of exciting storylines, and given how the first five weeks of the season have unfolded, it's a scenario that could actually happen.
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