Jimmy Garoppolo Explains The No. 1 Lesson He Learned From Tom Brady

Most of Jimmy Garoppolo’s Friday news conference centered around the future of the San Francisco 49ers, who signed the 26-year-old quarterback to a five-year, $137.5 million contract one day earlier.

But Garoppolo was asked a few questions about his former employer, the New England Patriots, who traded him to San Francisco midway through this past season. One reporter asked him what he learned during his time backing up Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who earned his third NFL MVP award this season at age 40.

“I think his love for the game, obviously, is a big part of it, and I clearly have that,” Garoppolo told reporters. “So the way he prepares, that was one thing I picked up from him, just being around him for three-and-a-half years. It makes the difference. And week in and week out, to be mentally tough enough to do that and physically tough enough to survive the games, it’s all that coming together, really.”

Garoppolo spent last Sunday night doing the same thing as most Americans: watching his former Patriots teammates fall to the Philadelphia Eagles 41-33 in Super Bowl LII.

“I watched it with my brothers and some of our friends,” the QB said. “It was actually a really good game, I thought. A lot of offense in it and everything. It was a tough loss for those guys, but they had a good season.”

Garoppolo started the final five games of the 2017 season for the 49ers, leading a 1-10 team to five consecutive wins. His new contract is the richest in NFL history in terms of average annual value.