New England was Tom Brady’s world, and Josh McDaniels and Jimmy Garoppolo were simply existing in it.
That’s the narrative put forth by former NFL quarterback David Carr, who recently detailed the Patriots’ alleged chain of command during Brady’s time in New England.
When appearing on the “Harvester Sports Podcast” this week, Carr — whose younger brother, quarterback Derek Carr, spent one season with McDaniels in Las Vegas — claimed Brady “ran the show” and “was able to bully” the then-Patriots offensive coordinator.
“I would say, what happened is in New England, Tom Brady ran the show, so he was able to bully Josh and he would just say, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’” Carr said. “And if Josh said no, [Brady] would go to Bill [Belichick]’s office, and if Bill said no, he would go to [team owner] Robert Kraft.
“‘Trade Jimmy Garoppolo, I don’t need him in here causing a problem.’ Jimmy Garoppolo gets traded, right?”
Garoppolo, who was drafted in the second round by the Patriots in 2014, was believed by some to be Brady’s successor as questions loomed about his playing future.
Garoppolo was instead traded to the 49ers in 2017 and is now expected to draw interest when free agency begins next week.
Of course, Carr’s allegations about the Patriots’ hierarchy are nothing new, as there had been reports of friction in New England prior to Brady’s exit in 2020.
McDaniels remained in New England for two more seasons following Brady’s departure to Tampa Bay.
McDaniels joined Derek in Las Vegas in early 2022, when he was named head coach of the Raiders.
The marriage didn’t last long, however, as Derek, 31, was benched late in the regular season — for another would-be Brady heir in Jarrett Stidham — and subsequently released in February.
Carr later speculated on the podcast about the type of quarterback McDaniels could be looking for.
“I think for Josh, he’s going to get a guy that he can not control, but tell where to throw the ball, that has some physical tools that can make some plays in the run game, that can push the ball down the field,” he said.
With Derek now starting his next chapter in New Orleans, signing a four-year deal with the Saints on Monday, all eyes are on the Raiders and who they possibly acquire at quarterback.
Interestingly enough, Garoppolo was linked to the Raiders this week by NFL Network, which also reported the Panthers and Texans are other teams he could draw interest from.
The Raiders finished the 2022 season with a 6-11 record and missed the playoffs.