When Rob Gronkowski Knew Jimmy Garoppolo Was Elite
February 1st, 2022
Gronk
Regular readers here have seen Joe lobby for 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to be the 2022 Tampa Bay signal-caller.
He is hardly the only name Joe would embrace.
One reason Joe would welcome Jimmy GQ is his relationship to tight end Rob Gronkowski. Maybe, just maybe, the arrival of Gronk’s former teammate would convince him to stay in Tampa.
For those unaware, Jimmy GQ spent 3 1/2 seasons with Gronk in New England as Tom Brady’s backup.
When Gronk retired after the 2018 Super Bowl season, he joined FOX Sports and talked about the moment he knew young Jimmy GQ would be a star. In short, Jimmy GQ entered a game late in a blowout loss and called for Gronk to run a deep out route. Instead, Gronk messed up and ran a slant and Jimmy GQ hit him for a touchdown.
Of course, Gronk tells the story much better than Joe below, via the FOX Sports video.
Sadly, Joe thinks the 49ers have no desire to trade Jimmy GQ within the conference. Joe suspects Niners GM John Lynch would be far more eager to send him to his buddy Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh.
“That’s when I knew at that time that he was going to be elite. Then when he got traded 3 weeks later, I knew [the @49ers] got a special player in Jimmy G.” @RobGronkowski shares a story of when he knew @JimmyG_10 was going to be something special: pic.twitter.com/2DDJn5bJH3
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 24, 2019
February 1st, 2022 at 5:29 pm
what would you give for him, joe?
February 1st, 2022 at 5:30 pm
When New England traded Jimmy G to SF, all they got in return was a very early 2nd round pick.
Shrewd, very shrewd Bill.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:32 pm
The words “Jimmy Garoppolo” and “Elite” do not belong in the same sentence, or even paragraph, unless it is to say “Jimmy Garoppolo is NOT elite”
Joe must not have gotten his full watching Jimmy G waste one of the best offenses in the NFL with his subpar talent in the NFC Championship game.
Now that Brady is gone I guess we are back to ridiculous articles like the good ‘ol days when it was nonstop JOHNNY MANZIEL and JAMEIS WINSTON. Both swings and misses in the NFL. Yawn. First, re-watch the game. Garoppolo didn’t exactly play poorly. Second, Joe wrote several stories about desired quarterbacks in the 2014 NFL Draft. Why? Because the Bucs needed one but instead went with Josh McCown. Joe wrote about strong interest in Johnny, Teddy, Jimmy G and Derek Carr. Remember, Jason Licht brought in Jimmy G for an interview at One Buc Palace. Might Johnny Football have fared better in Tampa, away from the diseased Browns organization? We’ll never know. As for Jameis, well, the Bucs needed a QB then, too. Would you have preferred Marcus Mariota?–Joe
February 1st, 2022 at 5:34 pm
Gronk knew Jimmy G is elite. But Gronk also knows that Arians is a sloppy coach that does not put in the work.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:35 pm
20 TDs and 12 INTs
I do not understand the desire for Jimmy G, even as a FA yet alone for a trade…
Wow
February 1st, 2022 at 5:42 pm
I would inquire about Matt Ryan. You know atlanta is ready to move on n we have enough around him for a good few years🤷🏻♂️
February 1st, 2022 at 5:46 pm
Jimmy G
Wtf you guys smoking ?
February 1st, 2022 at 5:46 pm
Look at the offense they run in SF. It’s a run first defense style of team. Plus Jimmy G don’t do anything stupid and we got a good chance of wining. If you want Jimmy, you better have a great D to carry him. If not a top name you might as well use the year to get right on the salary cap and work for a good pick. If you keep a good core, maybe you get a good FA QB in 2023.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:47 pm
I agree with JOE. Jimmy G is that good. Please Jason Licht make this happen. I know you can.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:50 pm
I’ll say it again. I like Jimmy G, he’s a leader and by all accounts a solid teammate. He has a sweet release and reads the field well… in most games. Just an OK arm, but that isn’t his biggest weakness. He isn’t very good at sensing pressure within the pocket, and that might add to him keeping his composure when it’s late during big games. There’s no kind way to put it, he chokes. Good regular season QB, but unreliable if the score is tight during the late second half of a big game. That’s when he’ll throw an interception at the worst possible moment, or simply have trouble sustaining a drive.
Remember that last possession against the Rams? 1st down, he overthrows as he’s transfixed on a defender. 2nd down he nearly throws an interception. 3rd down he sets to throw twice, second-guesses himself and hesitates taking too much time. Then when he realizes he’s about to get sacked, he heaves a desperation pass. Intercepted. Game.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:54 pm
Look, if you can get Jimmy G for something cheap, by all means do it. Consider him training wheels for Trask, Trey Lance sings Jimmy G praises. The one big caveat is that expensive contract. The Bucs will be forced to forego signing some key vets.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:59 pm
Jittery G is Alex Smith minus toughness. Jittery G invariably cracks and panics, comedy pratfall, in the most important and biggest moments. Face plant. Only Jittery throws two handed basketball set shots in SBs.
Hilarious that Jittery actually declared himself better than Brady at one point. Belichick knew otherwise, and in hindsight, fleeced SF.
The only way Jittery overcomes his mental collapse tendencies is with serious therapy.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:59 pm
Y’know what? Y’all are bashing on it, but I like Jimmy G on a cheap one year deal. You have to remember that our only QB on contract next year is Trask. Why not bring in Jimmy and see what the elder Brady student can teach our newest (and I suppose last) one? Can’t be the worst decision this team has ever made.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:04 pm
Jimmy G is no better than Winston and in BA scheme he would throw a lot of pics just like Winston also. No thanks we have already seen how that story ends.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:05 pm
Man I sure do love me some Charissa Thompson…
And wouldn’t mind Jimmy G at QB either.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:08 pm
Oh now Joe, you KNOW you were pushing the Johnny and Jameis articles more than the other guys. A lot more. As for Jameis, I understand the large amount of coverage with the Bucs having the 1st pick and Jameis being the best available out of college. No Mariota would not have been better but it’s the Jameis worship that came AFTER he was drafted (“America’s Turnover Machine”) I was referring to.
Anyway, hindsight 20/20 right? As for the now, show me a game where Jimmy G put the team on his back and led them to a critical win. I’m having trouble coming up with an example because the guy has been carried his whole career and when the 9ers have needed him to pass them out of a deficit he has failed.
Let the post-Brady QB drama begin!
February 1st, 2022 at 6:11 pm
Gronk says in the video that any QB who play behind TB12 always become winners. If this is the case the it’s Trask time.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:11 pm
Jimmy G is mediocre at best. The numbers say it and so do the eyes. He was a game manager for a team with an elite defense.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:12 pm
The only way they give up Jimmy G is if Tom Brady came out of retirement to play for his hometown team.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:12 pm
Rather have Jimmy G. than the rest he might not be as talented but hes a team player and not going to cost you a small fortune.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:14 pm
In My Opinion
Realistic:
1) Develop Trask
2) Blain Grabbert
3) Teddy Bridgewater
Sorry Folks……….The Bucs are not going to draw the interest of any Vet QB
Personally I would like :
1) Aaron Rogers
2) Russel Wilson
3) Derric Carr
4)Cousins
5) Wentz
6) Mariota
None of those are going to come to Tampa.
6-11 at best for 2022
February 1st, 2022 at 6:19 pm
As for Jameis, well, the Bucs needed a QB then, too. Would you have preferred Marcus Mariota?–Joe
My suggestion was to trade down for a hoard of picks. Glennon would have been good enough until we were ready for a QB.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:19 pm
I mean it’s not so much Joe’s Initial write up that’s the problem with QB’s.
Johnny football wanted to party more then he was concerned with playing QB and Joe was saying the biggest mistake this team can make is letting go of Jameis after year 5.
On twitter one of the joes was in a fit retweeting things like “if we wanted an ancient QB why did we get rid of Gruden” and it was almost a mourning trip about letting America’s QB mr entertainment go.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:19 pm
Jimmy G has a strong arm. Not a weekends at all. It is on SF for not designing long plays. Also, reads defenses really well. And good mechanics and accuracy. The problem with him is he never learned to relax under pressure. He tends to panic. If everything goes well he is great. If he is under pressure, uncomfortable, stressed, anything and he lacks any composure and shoots from the hip. This is something rookie QBs do and outgrow but he is kind of stuck with it. His injury reputation is also related to this. He would not think and have the awareness to protect himself in the heat of the moment.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:20 pm
forgot to write the last part.
It’s the stubbornness on what Joe’s outlook on them is. It’s like his thoughts between year 1 and year 5 don’t change. Yeah Drafting Jameis was the right call I get that It’s just how things went AFTER the draft is why we need to move on and not get back with our toxic ex.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:23 pm
Deshaun , or Trask … Build a nasty Defense , THE END
GoBucs!
February 1st, 2022 at 6:26 pm
Brady will play one more year.
IF we trade him straight up for GQ
February 1st, 2022 at 6:28 pm
JimmyG’s best trait is being able to throw a horrible interception at the worst possible time. I’d rather see Winston back than the fraud Garrapolo.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:30 pm
If my only choice was to pick one of the two, I’d take Jameis over Jimmy G.
Garoppolo could have had five picks in the Rams game. He even threw it into the hands of a DB when he was trying to throw it away. Quadruple no on Jimmy G.!
Back to Brady: I hear all kinds of blame being thrown around about coaching. None of you know Brady, including me, so your takes are speculative with stupidity on top.
If Brady was serious about returning, don’t you think Licht and the Glazers would give him anything he wanted?
Brady is good for business, and businessmen like the Glazers are not going to pass on any chance to make a buck.
Sometimes it’s just time to hang it up, especially when you’re healthy and still on top.
Time to move on …
February 1st, 2022 at 6:30 pm
Good point. Russell Wilson will be similar to the future-looking ransom the Rams paid for Stafford. Derek Carr? Mebbe. Atlanta isn’t gonna trade Ryan to someone in their division. There really aren’t too many options
February 1st, 2022 at 6:31 pm
TBH the more I think about it just let Trask play.
Why spend a lot of needed salary cap on a mediocre QB?
February 1st, 2022 at 6:35 pm
Jimmy G doesnt fit in this offense. Everytime i see him in a big game he is overthowing wide open deep shots. He missed a game winning shot in the SB vs the Chiefs, missed another this past Sunday. We need a QB who excells on deep throws, Garappollo arent gonna cut it.
Same thing with Teddy. That guy has not deep game, he would suck in this offense……..Feel free to correct me if Im wrong, I dont follow either of them 2 closely.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:37 pm
Don’t see Jimmy g going anywhere in the NFC if Lynch decides to trade him. The cap hits on all other QBs are probably way too much for the Bucs from what I’ve read. Especially since we have so many free agents to sign. I don’t think the Glazers would sign Watson with all his legal issues. So like it or not Jameis is about the only QB left….
February 1st, 2022 at 6:39 pm
Hard Pass
Lets see what Kyle Task can do.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:43 pm
I question the Joe’s football IQ sometimes. We cant afford JG if we plan on keeping or adding talent.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:56 pm
ElioT Says:
February 1st, 2022 at 5:35 pm
“20 TDs and 12 INTs
I do not understand the desire for Jimmy G, even as a FA yet alone for a trade…”
Well my eyeball test does not like Jimmy G either. But then I look at the amazing 33-14 record for his career and think, maybe I just don’t recognize enough that the guy is just a winner wherever he goes. Yes two good teams but certainly Belichick and Shanahan run clearly different offenses and he won in both of those offenses.
So clearly, I am not sure why guys love Carr or Cousins or Bridgewater, etc more than a 19 million Jimmy G against the salary cap.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:59 pm
Jimmy G threw for 118 TDs to 51 ints in 45 games at Eastern flippin’ Illinois
Trask threw for 69 TDs to 15 ints in 20 games at Florida.
Extrapolate Trask to 45 games and it would be 178 TDs to 37.5 ints and I believe Florida plays Just a bit tougher schedule than Eastern Illinois.
WHY you guys hatin’ on Trask so much? Because he played for Florida?
February 1st, 2022 at 7:12 pm
Jimmy G went to two SB’s Trask 0
February 1st, 2022 at 7:14 pm
SB
Trask also beat the Georgia Bulldogs last season, arguably the best defense in college. This season they won a Natty.
“Jimmy G went to two SB’s”
Yeah and Blaine Gabbert is a Super Bowl Champion, your point?
February 1st, 2022 at 7:21 pm
JimmyG is NOT elite! Stop it lol
February 1st, 2022 at 7:29 pm
SF can keep him. He cannot lead a passing team.
February 1st, 2022 at 7:35 pm
SB a good portion of fans do indeed hate Trask because he is a Gator. It comes with the territory in Florida being a huge College State.
Then there is another portion of people that hate almost anything Bucs that doesnt have a HOF tag. Not sure if they are even fans, they might just be Buc haters. These are the fans that are the loudest about hating Bruce and Byron…..and now we can add Todd to that list.
Trask is just another name on their list.
I understand there are good fans that are critical of Bruce. Then there are peopld just here to hate. I guess that is their fun. They pick easy targets like Byron or Trask knowing that most QBs dont become superstars, the odds are in their facor to say i told you so. Same with Byron who if he goes to Jacksonville the odds are against him succeeding.
When things do go their way they just find new targets and basically hope for failure. Realuze these people are quite irrational. I recall one of them calling Brady noodle arm when he signed hahahaha……I can just about guarantee you the genius who said that is a foremost expert on Trask and how horrible of a pro QB he is.
February 1st, 2022 at 7:45 pm
If we ended up with JG I would love to be wrong, just don’t see him being any better than he already is, and that is pretty meh. I live on the west coast and have the unfortunate luck of being subjected to a lot of 9ers games. Garoppolo has had plenty of time working under one of the best offensive minds in the game today. Not only has he not improved, he has taken steps backwards since his first year in San Fran. Shannahan constantly gets receivers schemed open, there are way too many missed throws for my liking and he appears to struggle working through his progressions. Sure his win percentage is above average, but he has also been blessed with a solid team on both sides of the ball and a brilliant coach. Remove win percentage and I do not see what Joe is smitten over this guy for. There may be an example I can’t think of, so can anyone tell me when the last QB to ride the bench through their rookie contract, then play through a second contract as a run of the mill starter, magically becomes a franchise qb? There is a reason the franchise that knows him intimately decided last year that they needed to draft a replacement. If JG can’t find success in Shannahan’s game with receivers wide open in the short to intermediate, how the hell is he expected to be successful with Arian’s offensive style?
February 1st, 2022 at 7:50 pm
I seriously doubt Gronk will play without Brady..
February 1st, 2022 at 8:08 pm
Lets just roll with Trask next season and let the cookie crumble. Next year draft will be better for drafting a QB if we need one. Trask just might be developing….wont know until we try.
Just get him a strong run game and lets work on that defensive backfield.
February 1st, 2022 at 8:25 pm
Jimmy G isn’t even Avg …….. let’s be real
February 1st, 2022 at 9:27 pm
Sad to say but it’s bye bye to Gronk too. It was awesome having him here.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:43 pm
At least Jimmy and Jameis beat New Orleans 😮
February 1st, 2022 at 10:05 pm
Garapollo can’t throw down field. If Shanahan can’t turn him into a star qb then I don’t know who can. His decision making is terrible.
February 1st, 2022 at 10:29 pm
Jimmy GQ behind our o line wouldn’t be too bad.
February 1st, 2022 at 11:10 pm
Jimmy Garoppolo.
Elite.
LOL!O!L!O!LOOLOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
He’s a less productive Jameis Winston, a game manager who makes huge mistakes and has no upside. The guy sucks. Brad Johnson won a SB, Trent Dilfer won a SB, Chris Chandler got a team to the SB, it doesn’t mean any of those teams needed that QB, they were just the person who was in that spot.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:23 am
Gronk’s comment about all of the quarterbacks behind TB went on to become successful QB’s in the NFL. That’s significant for the Bucs.
February 2nd, 2022 at 9:16 am
Best analysis i e seen of Jimmy G was someone talking about the 49ers and how they have to navigate a seemingly inevitable in game meltdown from their qb every game. I dont want anything to do with that Not interested in spending time on Kyle Trask either. Our team has too much talent to waste watching a yougin or an underachiever flounder through next season. I hope Licht is focused on bringing something better to the team. We can still be a contender with competence at the qb position. IMO we cant expect that from either if thise options.
February 2nd, 2022 at 10:11 am
I think the Bucs should go after Rodgers. That’s a long shot but if they miss on him… then we either should blow it up, trade players for picks or trade up for Matt Corral this year. We aren’t going to EVER win a Super Bowl with Jimmy G. He would take us to the playoffs and that’s about it.
February 2nd, 2022 at 9:42 pm
LOL. Gimmy G. There is a reason the defenses do not play against the deep ball when they play against him. He does not have an arm to hit the deep receiver down the field. This is a non-sense article. Play Trask and let him learn with actual live games. Coach Arians should have had him as QB2 not QB3. Tampa be crazy to doubt Trask and bring an average qb like Jimmy G. as they did in high school and college. Unless you bring Aaron R. or Russell W. the next year starter should be Trask. He broke so many records in SEC and Florida. There are two SEC qb’s in super bowl.