Toughness Questions
The irony is Cutler has had his toughness questioned for years despite an appalling lack of evidence for such accusations. He’s proven time and again he’s willing to get back up after every hit and play through pain. It’s one of his most admirable traits. For Garoppolo? Some are left to wonder about that. Michael Felder of NBC Sports wrote about the situation in New England and raised concerns some people have about the young quarterbacks’ desire to be on the field.
“Garoppolo could obviously still be of great value, either here or elsewhere, but the momentum has been lost. The quality of play on offense dipped dramatically the last two weeks, and we were subjected to over 10 quarters of a college-level scheme behind Brissett. Worse, questions were raised over Garoppolo’s ability/willingness to play through the injury, and whether that’s fair or not, the team did nothing to dispel it either publicly or through the reporting that emanated out of Gillette.”
The situation referred to is when Garoppolo suffered a shoulder injury against the Miami Dolphins in week two of the regular season. An awkward hit caused him to land on his throwing shoulder, forcing him out of the game. Though it was diagnosed as minor, some felt Garoppolo didn’t push hard enough to play.
Not a good look for somebody expected to lead a franchise in one of the most violent sports on the planet.
