Belichick Pressed (Again) On Patriots QB Situation: 'Nothing's Going To Change'
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots have a lot of issues to talk about and there's plenty to ask head coach Bill Belichick about in his limited media availability ... Injuries everywhere. Roster cut-downs. The offensive line situation. The running back situation.
One particular area of the team that really isn't subject to much speculation or hard questioning is the quarterback situation. While Tom Brady's excused absences and silly scissor accident have added some unexpectedly bizarre intrigue to the team in recent days, it's still clear what the team is planning as far as the actual games: Jimmy Garoppolo is the starter Week 1 against Arizona, Tom Brady will return as the starter Week 5 against Cleveland.
It ultimately does not matter who gets the most practice reps or preseason playing time at the quarterback position, because everyone knows who is starting when. That still hasn't stopped reporters from asking Belichick about it.
During the head coach's Tuesday press conference, a reporter started a question by saying that Belichick had previously said he wanted to get Garoppolo the most reps in practice, to which Belichick snapped, "I never said that." The coach then clarified that the "priority is to get Jimmy ready ... I don't think I ever said anything about reps."
The reporter followed up asking if Belichick were more apt to play Tom Brady in Friday's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Belichick replied in about as clear of terms as he could possibly express: "Nothing's changed. All three quarterbacks are extremely important. Jimmy's preparation for the Arizona opener is the most important. Nothing's changed, nothing's going to change. That's that way it's going to be."
Belichick did his damnedest there to stop the reporter from asking any more questions about the quarterbacks. For the record, the reporter in question was not the Concord Monitor's Dave Brown, who infamously got Belichick to mutter "Jesus Christ" when he pressed him on naming Brady the Week 5 starter in mid-July. In fairness to Brown, that is not how Belichick typically handles his roster.
However, it's clear that as long as Garoppolo is playing well in the preseason, Brady misses practices or games, and the overall situation with practice reps and playing time is unclear, Belichick will still have to face questions about the quarterbacks. But he could not have been clearer about it than he was on Tuesday.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
