Before Jimmy Garoppolo became the hottest quarterback in the Bay Area, he served as Tom Brady's understudy in New England. Unlike most of Brady's backups, Garoppolo appears to have actually harnessed what he learned from Brady and now he's ready to embark upon his own career of superstardom as he tries to lead the 49ers out of a dark era of rebuilding. In the process, he's going to look a lot like Brady -- so much so that one might call it "creepy."
On Saturday, Dov Kleiman posted the following video that shows just how freakishly similar Garoppolo's mannerisms are to Brady's:
When they say new @49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo is a lot like the GOAT @Patriots QB Tom Brady after studying under him for 4 years and watching him lead two 4th quarter comebacks to win Superbowls, they're not wrong. pic.twitter.com/uynhHInGLF — Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 21, 2018
By the time Garoppolo met with reporters on Monday, he'd seen the video. His thoughts? He thinks it (their shared mannerisms, not the video) is both "creepy" and "a little weird."
Yes, Jimmy Garoppolo caught the video showing how closely his mannerisms echo those of Tom Brady. He called it "creepy." "Obviously I've picked up some stuff from him," Garoppolo said. "But I saw it, and it's a little weird." — Phil Barber (@Skinny_Post) April 23, 2018
So, here's the thing: It's not just the video above that shows how similar the two are. A quick look through the database of USA Today Sports Images reveals several photos of the two sharing the exact same poses.
Example 1: Synchronized running.
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Example 2: It's like there's a mirror running vertically through the middle of the photo.
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Example 3: More synchronized running.
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Example 4: Synchronized walking (left leg leading, right hand in pocket).
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Example 5: Mirror images, I say.
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Obviously, I'm cherry picking five photos among dozens, but the point remains that Garoppolo clearly learned a thing or two from Brady during his 3.5 seasons in New England. And, though, Garoppolo called it creepy, it's probably not a bad thing.
Brady, of course, is arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play the game and he's still going strong at age 40 (soon to be 41). Garoppolo, on the other hand, is just getting his career going, but it couldn't have gotten off to a better start. After getting traded to the 49ers just before the trade deadline last season, Garoppolo spent his first few weeks on the bench before finally getting the starting nod for the team's final five games. Garoppolo led the 49ers to five straight wins, which pushed their record to 6-10, by completing 67.4 percent of his passes, averaging 8.8 yards per attempt, throwing seven touchdowns and five picks, and posting a 96.2 passer rating.
His reward? A record-breaking five-year, $137.5 million contract. And really, that's where Garoppolo's path diverges from Brady's. While Brady's contract pays him an average of $20.5 million per year, Garoppolo's pays him $27.5 million per season.