Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo wasn’t expecting to start on Thursday night against the Bears, but when Tom Brady cut his thumb just before kickoff, Garoppolo moved into the starting lineup.
“I found out literally right before the game. It was pretty sudden,” Garoppolo said.
Despite the suddenness of his promotion to the No. 1 quarterback, he played well: Garoppolo completed 16 of 21 passes for 181 yards, with a touchdown, no turnovers and no sacks.
“I think we got in a nice rhythm offensively,” Garoppolo said. “Some stuff came up, I got tossed in there, and it was a good test. Coach always preaches you never know when you’re going in there, you never know when your number is going to be called, and you’ve got to be ready for it.”
Preseason stats don’t mean much, but Garoppolo currently leads the league in passing yards for the preseason. He’s playing well, which the Patriots need him to continue to do while Brady sits at home for the first four weeks of the season.