Jimmy Garoppolo has wanted to be some team’s franchise quarterback long before he was drafted by the New England Patriots back in the spring of 2014. On Halloween eve, he’s been granted that opportunity. The soon to be 26-year old (his birthday is Thursday) has been dealt to San Francisco for the 49ers own 2nd round pick. The move has sent shockwaves across the NFL landscape but closer to home “surprised” the signal caller, according to a source close to him.

"Ready to roll. Can't get on a plane fast enough. He's waited for this for a long time," a source close to him said.

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Garoppolo has “long been hopeful of a trade” said the source but believed that once the season started, that window had closed until the offseason. But the Pats have clearly bought in to the idea that the 40-year old Brady can extend his career for seasons to come and thus parted ways with a valuable chip and a player highly thought of by members of the coaching staff and teammates as well.

The former Eastern Illinois signal caller has never lacked for confidence, and has long believed that - given the chance - he could ascend up the QB ranks, especially after fellow draft classmates Derek Carr, Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater and others earned immediate starts with their respective organizations and - in Carr’s case - a massive contract extension this summer. Now Garoppolo, who’s slated to be a free agent at season’s end, will hurriedly ingest the San Francisco playbook in hopes of putting himself in that class. With offensive-minded Kyle Shanahan calling the shots in his first year as head coach with the Niners, he’ll be asked to do a lot. The same source telling me “this is a match made in heaven. These two are going to love each other.”

Maybe love is too strong, but this has the potential to be a longterm marriage, coincidentally with the team that the indefatigable Brady used to root for as a kid growing up in the Bay Area.