Many interpret the trade of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as a sign that the Patriots are all in with Tom Brady, indefinitely. Brady isn’t ready to assume that.
“I don’t know what that means,” Brady told Jim Gray of Westwood One on Monday night. “This is a week-to-week league. Things change so quickly from week to week, year to year. . . . In my mind this is all about this season and us trying to win. I’m trying to do the best I can do for our team like I always do. I am going to bring it every single day like I’ve tried to do for the last 18 years so you know I’m focused on this season and I’m sure everyone else in the organization is focused and we got to go out and got to try to -- we got a bye week this week and we are going to go out and try to win next week.”
Brady also doesn’t know who his backup will be, although all signs are pointing to a reunion with Brian Hoyer.
“I’m not sure,” Brady told Gray as to the team’s new No. 2. “I’m not sure. I’m sure the coaches will have that figured out here by the time we practice.”
Ultimately, Brady wasn’t surprised by the move.
“This is the time of the year where we have been a part of a lot of trades, our team has, over the years,” Brady said. “Now again as players we try to show up to work every day doing the best we can do and a lot of other things take care of themselves. When other teams want good players whether it’s coming to our team or leaving our team those are the type of opportunities that present themselves. They come up.”
The opportunity came up for the Patriots, who likely would have preferred to sign Garoppolo to a bridge deal that would have paid him very well to be the backup until Brady retires. Garoppolo apparently wasn’t willing to do that, so he’ll now go from the 6-2 Patriots to the 0-8 49ers.