Jimmy Garoppolo says he thought he’d spend his whole career with the Patriots

Jimmy Garoppolo clearly thought he’d supplant Tom Brady on the New England Patriots. The quarterback admitted he thought he’d spend his whole career with New England. And when Garoppolo joined the team as a second-round draft choice in 2014, Brady did seem to be slowing down — until he ripped of three Super Bowl wins with the Patriots (and one more with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

And so with Brady making an unprecedented late surge in his career, the Patriots traded Garoppolo to the 49ers. With San Francisco drafting quarterback Trey Lance at third overall, Garoppolo seemed like a trade candidate. That left many wondering whether the Patriots might acquire him — until New England drafted Alabama quarterback Mac Jones.

During an appearance on CBS Sports Radio, he was asked how he would have felt about returning to New England

“I don’t know. We never really got to cross that bridge,” Garoppolo told CBS Sports Radio. “You never know where your path is going to take you in the NFL. I thought I was going to be in New England for my entire career. That didn’t go as planned. It’s kind of one of those businesses, you have to be ready for anything. You’ve got to be on your toes. You have to be able to react. However the story plays out you have to be ready to run with it.”

Garoppolo’s career is headed for more uncertainty. He probably also thought he’d spend his whole career with San Francisco, but that isn’t likely to work out either. He may be looking for a new team in 2022 — or sooner.

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