Jimmy Garoppolo

5 reasons the Bears should trade for Jimmy Garoppolo

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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During last Monday night’s game against the Eagles, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler suffered an injury to his throwing hand. Although his timetable for a return is short, if the team wants to salvage their NFL season, they should make a play for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Sep 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola (80) with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) after his touchdown against Miami Dolphins in the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

When Jimmy Garoppolo was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2014, there’s no doubt they saw him as the heir apparent to Tom Brady.

While that still may be true, Garoppolo already looks like a future star in the wake of Tom Brady’s suspension. Though it seems like the perfect predicament for a team to be in, it’s hard to imagine Garoppolo returning to the bench.

To compound matters further, Tom Brady shows no signs of slowing down. Moving forward, the New England Patriots could handle this in one of two ways.

With Jay Cutler out, the #Bears promote QB Matt Barkley to the 53-man roster from the practice squad & put pass-rusher Lamarr Houston on IR.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 22, 2016

They could return Garoppolo to the bench and hope that he doesn’t get complacent, or they can trade him for future picks and draft the next heir apparent. No matter what they decide to do, the Patriots are sitting pretty.

Sadly, the same can’t be said for the Chicago Bears. As of last Monday night, the team is once again without quarterback Jay Cutler. Regardless of how long Cutler is sidelined, that does not bode well for the hopes of Chicago and its fast-sinking season. To make matters worse, the Bears have no one that has proven they can lead this team.

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Here are five reasons that the Bears should make a trade for the most successful young quarterback in the league.

Sep 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) celebrates with fans as he leaves the field after defeating the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Cardinals 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

His overnight success is no surprise

After two years of wearing a headset for the New England Patriots, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is finally showing the world what he’s capable of.

Following his selection at pick 62, No. 10 went straight to work, biding his time just waiting for a shot. Now that Jimmy G’s been given the chance, it seems as no lightning has struck twice for the New England Patriots.

While it’s true that it’s too early to compare him to Tom Brady, he has proven that he can lead this team.

Though Garoppolo’s current tear is surprising for most fans, his success is nothing new. At Eastern Illinois, he broke Tony Romo’s school record for yards, touchdowns in a season, and touchdowns in a collegiate career.

Garoppolo is a confident passer in the pocket, as evidenced by his ratio of 118 touchdowns to 51 interceptions, and his resume as a college champion is very impressive.

As a four year starter, Garoppolo led the Panthers to back-to-back conference titles, going 8-0 as a starter in 2013.

With a completion percentage of 62.7 and over 13,000 yards gained by way of air arsenal, his early NFL success is certainly no fluke.

Dec 4, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) is tackled by Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jeremy Mincey (92) and defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford (98) as he throws during the second half of their game against the at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Cutler is injured and declining

For the seventh time in eight years, the Chicago Bears find themselves without starting quarterback Jay Cutler. Since 2010, he’s missed a total of 15 total games due to injury.

As we all know, the older a player gets, the harder it becomes to rebound from bangs and bruises. It’s even harder when you’re a quarterback that is subject to an imposing pass rush.

During Monday Night Football, Cutler suffered an injury to his throwing hand while trying to hold off Eagles defensive tackle Destiny Vacao. The play resulted in a strip sack and a 2-3 week ride on the bench for Chicago’s franchise quarterback.

Jay Cutler is day-to-day with a sprained thumb, but he's not expected to need surgery:https://t.co/xRAYQfTiHi

— ESPN (@espn) September 20, 2016

Though he played two more series after the initial it, every time he gripped the ball, Cutler’s game was affected.

At 33 years old, and with a history like his, a Cutler rebound may be harder than one would think. Recent reports have suggested that surgery may not be necessary, but as the dust settles on his injury, nor is it completely off the table. If that’s the case, Cutler could be lost for the season. On that note, the team may be searching for his replacement.

Beyond casting their luck in the draft, the Bears don’t have many better options than dealing for New England’s ever-improving backup.

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Brady is timeless

What can be said about quarterback Tom Brady that hasn’t been said already?

Not only is he the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots; he’s also the face of the franchise. In fact, he’s been so successful that, whenever he does decide to retire, we shouldn’t put it past the Patriots to forego the following season entirely.

In his career, Brady has been to the Super Bowl six times, collected MVP honor during three of those contests and has hoisted four Lombardi Trophy’s. Although he’s been involved in some controversy, his success cannot be denied.

Good hustle, execution by @DonBanks, getting Tom Brady to remember the day 15 yrs ago that made him a starting QB: https://t.co/cK27JvhgOZ

— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) September 22, 2016

Brady boasts a 22-9 career postseason record, winning the big game without a stellar offense on more than one occasion. He’s not only appeared in more playoff games than any other quarterback, he’s also won more playoff games any quarterback.

To top it all off, with all his accolades and amazing achievements, he’s far from finished. Tom Brady looks as though he can play three or four more years in the NFL.

With Jimmy Garoppolo surging towards a full-time career as a starter, the Patriots will have to work more than magic to keep these two on the same roster.

Aug 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) takes the snap against the Chicago Bears in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

He can’t go back to the bench

In the game of football, there are two types of second-string quarterbacks.

The first one is a career back up — a journeyman that will continue to have success in that role with several teams. Then there’s the kind of player that wears a headset and studies everything he sees just so he will be ready for the moment his number is called.

When quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo took the field in Week 1, he was filling the latter role — the one of the quarterback who was physically and mentally prepared to take over. The moment he led his team to the win column after a solid performance he became a full-fledged starter.

Sep 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

I state this with confidence, because winning a game is a team effort, but leading is a job that only one man can do. In his mind, Garoppolo has made that transition successfully. The thought process of a starter is completely different than that of a back up.

Now that Jimmy G’s crossed that bridge he simply cannot regress back to a relief role. Because in his mind he will never be second string again.

A trade to Chicago would not only keep him in a starting role, but the team would embrace him as such due to their need for a leader. It’s a recipe for success for both parties. Enough, perhaps, to finally pull the Bears out of hibernation.

Aug 26, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) during warm ups at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

He’s the prodigy of the ultimate mentor

Learning from a successful quarterback can be very beneficial for a rookie or second-year player. You receive first-hand knowledge of what works as a team leader, and you reap the benefit of seeing what doesn’t work without having to endure the hardship.

Football fans have seen this process most recently with the success of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He benefited greatly from watching Brett Favre play for the first three years of his career. Before that, it was quarterback Steve Young that was fortunate enough to watch Joe Montana play.