Jimmy Garoppolo learned a thing or two from Tom Brady, even as a backup.

“The preparation as a whole was tremendous just to see it, to be in the same room as it, to learn from it,” Garoppolo told The Ringer in a recent interview. “To be a rookie and see that, it was invaluable. I can barely put it into words.”

While Brady and Garoppolo reportedly had an intense, competitive relationship that resulted in them “wanting to kill each other” at times, the San Fransisco quarterback had high praise for the experience.

“What you learn is playing the game within the game, that’s a big part of Tom,” he continued. “I don’t even know if he told me that [directly], but he would always talk about the game within the game. He would talk about the snap count, and he’d say ‘you’re going to go on two on this play’ and he’d have a specific reason. That’s not the coaches telling you, that’s the player playing the game within the game. It’s the little things, the little details and how he ties them all together — that’s what separates you.”


Garoppolo is returning to full health since tearing his ACL in September. The quarterback even teased fans of his comeback via Instagram.

For Pats fans, Garoppolo’s return on the field means an opportunity to watch the former backup compete on his own.

Let the Brady-Garoppolo comparisons begin (again).