Julian Edelman backs Martellus Bennett's criticism of Jimmy Garoppolo for missing starts in 2016
Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman knows a thing or two about playing through injury, most famously playing with torn rib cartilage for almost the entirety of the 2019 season. So it should come as no surprise that Edelman said he "got mad" at former teammate Jimmy Garoppolo for unexpectedly backing out of one of his 2016 starts the morning of the game.
The new injury storyline may shed light on why the Patriots felt comfortable moving Garoppolo to San Francisco for a second-round pick in 2017.
When Tom Brady was dealt a four-game suspension during the 2016 season for Deflategate, Garoppolo earned his first-ever NFL starts. Just two games in, however, Garoppolo suffered an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. Jacoby Brissett took over starting duties in Week 3, but tore a ligament in his thumb during the game.
New England was slated to start Garoppolo in Week 4. However, Garoppolo announced the morning of the game he was unable to play because of the shoulder injury, forcing Brissett to start with no other option on the roster. While he put up a valiant effort on short notice, throwing for a then-career-high 205 yards with no attached ligament in his throwing hand, New England would go on to lose 16-0 to the Buffalo Bills. It was just one of two losses the team would suffer all season.
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Former Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett popped off on Garoppolo last year.
“Bro, we lost two games [without Brady],” Bennett told NBC Sports Boston in an October 2021 interview. “One of them was because Jimmy Garoppolo was being a (expletive). He quit before, decided not to play right before the game. Jacoby [Brissett came out and played with a (expletive)-up thumb and played his heart out, but Jimmy was just being a (expletive) about it all.”
During his recent appearance on the I AM ATHLETE podcast, Edelman was presented with Bennett’s 2021 comments and basically agreed with him.
“I mean, I don’t know, we’re all football players here,” Edelman said about Garoppolo’s injury. “So we go into Week 4 and Jimmy was practicing and then decided not to play. Jacoby played with no ligaments in his thumb, which you can’t do that as a quarterback.
“A lot of guys got mad at it. I’m not going to lie, I got mad about it. I sacrificed my body all day long. I was taking shots for this, numbing up that, ribs, broken ribs, shoulders, Grade 3, hanging on by limbs just to play. I can understand why Marty (Bennett) thinks like that.”
Edelman added that it may have been more understandable had Garoppolo told the team he couldn't play earlier in the week. Telling the team on Sunday morning made it that much worse.
Garoppolo appeared in four more games for New England during that 2016 season, all in garbage time. He did not finish minicamp during the 2017 offseason after multiple reports that he had suffered a lower body injury. Garoppolo's injury history, coupled with Brady's sustained level of play, enabled New England to move Garoppolo later that October.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jimmy Garoppolo criticized by former New England Patriots teammates
