Raiders’ Jimmy Garoppolo says Tom Brady’s ‘competitiveness’ is still there: ‘He got a little fiery’

Jimmy Garoppolo has reunited with Tom Brady, albeit in a different capacity with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Garoppolo, once Brady's backup with the New England Patriots, is the $72.5 million man leading the team's offense in the 2023 season. Brady has officially ended his Hall of Famer career but is still in the game after agreeing to purchase a minority stake in the Raiders.

Brady went viral ahead of the Raiders' final preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys over the weekend when he told Garoppolo and his teammates to “ruin their evening.”

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Tom Brady (12) and Jimmy Garoppolo (10) of the New England Patriots run onto the field before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Gillette Stadium October 22, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Garoppolo told Fox News Digital that he once again enjoyed being with Brady and that moment before the Cowboys game showed him that Brady's natural competitiveness was very much alive.

“His competitive spirit still shines through even as he prepares for the pre-season game in Dallas,” Garoppolo said. “He was in the dressing room with us. You can feel it – that competitive spirit came out a little bit. He got a little fiery.”

Garoppolo noted that Brady is a “doer and doer” as he diversifies his financial interests into several areas, including buying a small stake in Birmingham City, a soccer team in England.

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But Garoppolo and Brady have by and large found each other.

“We talked about a lot of things,” said Garoppolo, who will start his tenth year in the league. “On the field, off the field, different kinds of things. He's busy right now.”

“I'm really happy for him and how everything is going.”

Garoppolo was Brady's backup in New England for three years and won two Super Bowl rings before joining the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. However, it wasn't until 2019 that Garoppolo finally got his chance to be the starter.

He helped lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl that year, which fell to the Kansas City Chiefs. Garoppolo is 40-17 in his regular season while clinching big playoff victories away from troubled stadiums like Dallas and Green Bay.

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Jimmy Garoppolo of the Las Vegas Raiders before a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on August 26, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

With the Raiders, Garoppolo is hoping he can start the next chapter of his NFL career on the right note. He's had a lot of support from head coach Josh McDaniels, who has worked with Brady and Garoppolo in New England.

Garoppolo hopes Brady will be there throughout the regular season.

“Hopefully he'll be there a little bit here and there this year, but we'll see,” said Garoppolo.

“Jimmy 9Gs” experiences F-16 fighter jets with USAF Thunderbirds

Before entering the regular season, Garoppolo had the experience of a lifetime at Nellis Air Force Base, just outside of Las Vegas, thanks to USAA, the official NFL salute to service partner, and Team Whistle.

Garoppolo trained with the United States Air Force Thunderbirds to achieve up to nine G's in F-16 fighter aircraft.

“I already had a lot of respect for them, but after going through maybe an hour of what they go through every day, it's really impressive,” Garoppolo said. “I mean, after that you feel drained. You really don't want to talk to anyone and these guys have the same energy as before. So it was really impressive for me. It's unlike anything I've ever done before.” .

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo poses next to an F-16 fighter jet at Nellis Air Force Base. (Team Whistle/USA)

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“It's hard to describe, but it's really a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”