Patriots: 3 quarterbacks Bill Belichick absolutely needs to avoid this offseason

1. Jimmy Garoppolo

A reunion with Jimmy G? No thanks, Patriots!

Patriots fans might like the idea of reuniting with Garoppolo, as the former Pats second-rounder emerged as a solid starter in San Francisco that was one quarter away from beating Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. However, if an offensive genius like Kyle Shanahan is worried about the 49ers’ potential with him under center, that should concern New England.

Garoppolo, who found himself benched for the likes of CJ Beathard and Nick Mullens this season, is going to turn 30, yet he’s only started more than six games in a season once due to some concerning lower-body injuries. With just 4.1 air yards per completion last year, Shanahan is doing everything he can to avoid having Garoppolo hold the ball and make reads.

Not only is Garoppolo operating within an extremely limited version of Shanahan’s offense, but he’s doing so while commanding a hefty salary that New England will have to take on if he ends up back on the Patriots. His raw stats belie what he really is as a quarterback, and Belichick needs to be smart enough to avoid bringing him back.

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