The Patriots want to take one more long look at quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo before setting their 53-man roster over the weekend.
Garoppolo will start on Thursday night against the Giants and is expected to play most, if not all, of the game. Garoppolo has completed 64.9 percent of his passes over the first three preseason games and will be looking to continue his strong case for the second spot on the depth chart.
“I’m excited about it,” Garoppolo said, via ESPN.com. “It’s a good opportunity to get out there and get some quality reps. It’s going to be fun.”
If he does go the distance, Ryan Mallett, last year’s No. 2 quarterback, will be left without a chance to make a final impression before cutdown day. He also wouldn’t be in position to get hurt, something that could help if another team were to come calling with a trade offer for the former third-round pick before Saturday’s deadline to get to 53 players. There’s been talk about such interest over the last couple of years, but Mallett’s uneven preseason performance may not have helped push things closer to fruition.