The New England Patriots aren’t ruling out quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who hurt his throwing shoulder on Sunday, from playing on Thursday night when New England takes on the Houston Texans.
In fact, the Patriots might not take no for an answer, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
“The Patriots are putting pressure on Garoppolo to be ready as quickly as possible, even reminding him Tom Brady played through a similar injury on multiple occasions throughout his career, sources have told the Herald,” Howe wrote.
Howe acknowledges that Garoppolo still has problems lifting his right arm, while calling it “unrealistic” to think he could play in Week 3. The Patriots have listed him as “limited” during this week’s practices.
Head coach Bill Belichick didn’t rule out Garoppolo becoming a game-time decision.
“Could be, sure,” Belichick said, via WEEI in Boston. “It would depend on the situation. It would depend on a lot of things. It’s possible. Sure.”
Garoppolo suffered damage to his throwing arm as a result to a hard hit from Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso. After a throw at the end of a scramble, Alonso drove Garoppolo’s right side into the ground.
Before the injury, Garoppolo had completed 18-of-27 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. If he can’t go, New England will have to start rookie Jacoby Brissett at quarterback against the ferocious Texans defense. A third-round pick, Brissett completed 6-of-9 passes for 92 yards after entering the game late in the first half.
The Patriots can pressure Garoppolo all they want, but it seems increasingly unlikely that he’d be able to play with any kind of effectiveness with roughly three days of recovery time. For better or worse, expect Brissett to start on Thursday night, with Garoppolo becoming a more likely option in Week 4—the last game before Tom Brady’s suspension expires.
