Patriots prepare for 4-game stretch without Brady
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick acknowledged on Wednesday that Jimmy Garoppolo will have to start the first four games of the season at quarterback and said the top priority of training camp would be to get the former backup ready.
“We have finally some definition with Tom’s situation,” Belichick said of Tom Brady before declining to comment further on the “Deflategate” scandal that engulfed the NFL and one of its most successful franchises for 18 months.
“Tom will return as the starting quarterback when he comes back, but in the meantime we have to prioritize the first part of our schedule and that’ll be to get Jimmy ready to go.”
Brady was suspended four games and the team was docked $1 million and two draft picks for what the league said was a scheme to illegally deflate the footballs used in the 2015 AFC championship game.
Moving forward means that Garoppolo will need to start against Arizona on Sept. 11, and then again against the Dolphins, Texans and Bills. Belichick refused to say how he would split up the reps in practice so that both Brady and Garoppolo can get the needed work in.
“We’ll find out,” he said.
Brady is allowed to practice with the team during training camp and play in any preseason games. During the suspension, he will not be allowed any contact with team officials or to work out with teammates.
Special teams captain Matthew Slater said having Brady around during camp will be helpful.
“We’re definitely thankful that he’s around now, and I think he brings so much to the table,” he said. “There’s so much that we can learn from having him around.”
Safety Devin McCourty said Brady’s absence won’t change how the team plays defense.
Rams release Foles
The Los Angeles Rams released quarterback Nick Foles after failing to find a trade destination for the disgruntled veteran.
The Rams announced the move one day before their veterans report to training camp for their homecoming season in Southern California.
Foles hasn’t been around the Rams since they traded up to choose California quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in the draft this spring. The veteran skipped offseason workouts while Los Angeles attempted to trade him.
Jets re-sign Fitzpatrick
A person familiar with the negotiations says the New York Jets have re-signed Ryan Fitzpatrick to a one-year deal worth $12 million, ending months of speculation and uncertainty surrounding the team’s quarterback spot.
Fitzpatrick set the franchise record with a career-high 31 touchdown passes last season while helping lead the Jets on a playoff push in Todd Bowles’ first season as coach.
Around the league
The Chiefs placed running back Jamaal Charles on the physically unable to perform list Wednesday, though coach Andy Reid said it should not be considered a setback in his return from a knee injury. … Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory is facing a longer suspension over another violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, and owner Jerry Jones says he doesn’t expect to see the troubled player at training camp in California. He has already been suspended for the first four games of the upcoming season. … Former Giants coach Tom Coughlin will be joining the NFL’s football operations staff. The two-time Super Bowl-winning coach will work closely with Troy Vincent and with the NFL’s game-related committees in an advisory role. … The Jets have signed running back Bernard Pierce and waived running back Zac Stacy, who failed his physical after missing the last half of last season with a broken left ankle. … Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short said he won’t hold out while awaiting a new contract from the Carolina Panthers. Short reported to training camp on time. Also, the Panthers announced they gave safety Kurt Coleman a three-year extension that runs through the 2019 season. Financial terms were not released. … A Starkville, Mississippi, municipal court has cleared former Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott, now with the Cowboys, on charges of speeding and drunk driving.