Patriots Won’t Trade Ryan Mallett Until They’re Comfortable With Jimmy Garoppolo

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that the Patriots will not attempt to trade QB Ryan Mallett until they’re comfortable with rookie Jimmy Garoppolo being their backup to Tom Brady.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Garoppolo is expected to start the Patriots preseason finale against Giants and play “majority, if not all, of game.”

• Schefter adds that even with the news of Garoppolo starting Thursday’s game, the Patriots have not decided who will be their No. 2 quarterback.

Rapoport mentions that the Texans have the No. 1 waiver claiming priority in the event that the Patriots waive Mallett or someone else cuts a notable player.

The fact that the Patriots would leak info to the media about their plan for Thursday’s game looks like an attempt to drum up interest in Mallett.

St. Louis just lost starting QB Sam Bradford for the season, so they are probably at the top of the list in regards to teams that could use a quarterback. However, all indications are that the Rams will move forward with Shaun Hill as their starter and are not pursuing any deals for quarterbacks at this point in time.

Mallett, 26, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is set to make $776,976 this season. He hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2012.