Jimmy Garoppolo is the newest starting quarterback of the Las Vegas Raiders, and he is already speaking the same language as the franchise’s die-hard fan base.
The Raiders shared a video on Thursday that showed Garoppolo taking a tour of the team’s facility the day he had his introductory press conference. At one point, Jimmy G stopped and stared at a painting that depicted the infamous “tuck rule” play during the 2001 AFC Divisional Round playoff between the Raiders and New England Patriots.
Garoppolo laughed before confidently stating that “it was a fumble.” You can see the clip below:
It is probably safe to assume Garoppolo would have had a different opinion—at least publicly—during the three-plus seasons he spent with the Patriots.
Most people who watched the “tuck rule” play thought it was a fumble. What really happened is that the Raiders fell victim to a bad rule that was almost unanimously abolished by NFL teams back in 2013. Even Tom Brady admitted that he fumbled, but none of that matters now. Brady won that game and then went on to win six Super Bowls with the Patriots and another with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If Garoppolo is going to survive with the Raiders, he has to be on the “it was a fumble” side. He is obviously well aware of that.
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