National Football League

Scouting Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo

Published May. 12, 2015 10:27 a.m. ET

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Now that Tom Brady has been suspended for the first four games of the 2015 NFL season for Deflategate, the Steelers will open the season in New England against his backup, a 23-year-old signal caller named Jimmy Garoppolo. 

While female Patriots fans may not notice a significant dropoff from Brady in the looks department, here is what we know of Garoppolo's football ability to see if he can measure up to Brady behind center.

1. Garoppolo is listed at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, two inches shorter than Brady but the same weight.

2. Garoppolo played his college ball at Eastern Illinois, alma mater of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Garoppolo was a four-year starter and broke Romo's records for career touchdown passes and yardage, as well as touchdowns in a single season. 

3. In his senior year, Garoppolo tossed for 5,050 yards with 53 touchdowns and three interceptions, earning the Walter Payton award, which is basically the Heisman Trophy for the Football Championship Subdivision.

4. Garoppolo threw just 27 passes during mop-up duty in his 2014 rookie campaign, completing 19 of them for 182 yards and a touchdown. After New England's embarrassing performance in Kansas City on Monday Night Football early last season, some crazy people were suggesting it might be time for Brady to hand the reins over to Garoppolo. 

5. Garoppolo doesn't have have the strongest arm and he's not going to win any footraces with his 4.94 40-time, but he has a quick release, good vision, and pocket awareness. Sound familiar?

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