FOXBOROUGH, Mass.—Will the New England Patriots’ preseason opener be a coming-out party for Jimmy Garoppolo or a thumb in the eye to Roger Goodell and the NFL’s Deflategate investigation?
That’s what football fans will see when the Patriots play the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night in their exhibition opener. With a four-game suspension looming over quarterback Tom Brady, coach Bill Belichick will have to decide which is more important: getting his backup prepared for a possible stint as the starter, or showing his support for the suspended Super Bowl MVP.
No surprise: Belichick hasn’t said anything about his plans. So when the teams take the field, the Packers and the rest of the NFL will learn for the first time how the defending champions plan to handle the potential absence of their star.
