Jimmy Garoppolo is now the man in New England.

Following Tom Brady’s suspension Monday for four games, the Patriots’ surprise second-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft is looking like their presumptive Week 1 starter. So who is New England’s newest pretty boy quarterback? Read on to find out.

The Stats so Far

Garoppolo handled the bulk of the action in the 2014 preseason and mostly looked sharp, throwing 46 of his 79 passes for completions and totaling five touchdowns against one pick. He went the distance in the final tune-up game, going 22-for-42 for 284 yards, an interception and a touchdown.

Garoppolo got his first taste of game action in the Patriots’ primetime blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4. He went 6 for 7 with a touchdown in relief of Brady, prompting one media member to ask Bill Belichick “if the quarterback position would be evaluated this week.’’


Brady would turn in a vintage performance the following week, and Garoppolo would appear in just five more games. In all, he completed 19 of 27 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown and rushed ten times for nine yards.

The College Years

Garoppolo was a four-year starter at Tony Romo’s alma mater, Eastern Illinois University. He broke all the Cowboys signal-caller’s records in his tenure and won the Walter Payton award – the top offensive honor in the Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision – in his senior year, when he threw for 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns against just three picks.

The Makeup

At 6’2’’, 226 pounds, Garoppolo lacks prototypical height, and his 4.94 second 40-time leaves something to be desired, but he makes up for his physical inadequacies with a strong mental game and a quick release.

Garoppolo has good vision, executes the offense well and is good at evading pressure despite his poor straight-line speed, all traits he shares with Brady. He has limited arm strength and makes the occasional bad decision.

The Readiness

With a Brady suspension looming since the release of the Wells Report last week, Garoppolo’s “quarterback guru’’ Jeff Christiansen has said his pupil is ready for the challenge.

“From the exchanges I’ve had with Jimmy, I can tell you Tom’s been great with him, and helping him understand NFL defenses, along with the offense,’’ Christiansen told The Boston Herald. “He’s got nothing but great things to say about the whole situation. He feels very fortunate.


“With Tom’s professionalism and willingness to help the kid,’’ he continued, “I’m sure he’ll do real well if that happens.’’

That Smile

*Swoon*

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