SANTA CLARA — The monumental number doesn’t faze Jimmy Garoppolo’s brothers.
They won’t advise him to tread carefully with his newfound wealth because they don’t think he needs that advice. In a matter of less than four months, Garoppolo has gone from NFL afterthought as Tom Brady’s backup to owner of the biggest annual contract in NFL history. Yet his brothers don’t think it will change him one bit.
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The 49ers quarterback inked a five-year, $137.5 million deal Thursday, and joined his other five immediate family members in Santa Clara on Friday. Father Tony, mother Denise and brothers Tony Jr., Mike and Billy flew from Illinois to California on Thursday and sat in the first row for his celebratory press conference at team headquarters.
The kid those brothers roughhoused with in their childhood home can’t be roughhoused with anymore. Not with his right arm carrying such financial value.
“He’s a humble, humble guy that just works hard and focuses on what’s important to him and that’s family and friends,” Garoppolo’s brother, Mike, said. “Just doing well with those things. It’s hard work, dedication. It’s exciting, definitely exciting as a family. Proud of him and excited for him to see what he does with everything.”
The youngest Garoppolo, Billy, was at school at Illinois State on Wednesday night when he got the call. He woke up first thing Thursday morning, turned in a paper for class, drove home to Arlington Heights, Illinois and joined his family on a jet to the Bay Area. For him, it’s the start of a process to finally bring actual football back into the Garoppolo’s lives instead of watching Jimmy’s former team on TV.
In “celebration” of the new deal, the Garoppolo family went out to dinner in San Francisco Thursday night, nothing too extravagant compared to the money now associated with Jimmy’s name. And after Friday? Jimmy said he doesn’t have many plans other than preparing for his return to the 49ers facility in a couple months.
“We’re just really excited to get to next season, to get to work,” Billy said. “This is the longest offseason we’ve had since being in the NFL, being with the Patriots in the playoffs all the time. It just feels so long and just want to see football again.”
Both brothers acted shy when asked about that $137.5 million. They deflected, insisting it won’t get to Jimmy’s head. That his meteoric rise, at least in the pocket depth department, won’t change that kid wrestling on the floor and getting heated over video games that they remember fondly.
“He knows how to stay grounded,” Billy said.
Time will tell whether his performance matches his pay, something the other Bay Area quarterback couldn’t do this season.
Garoppolo enters his first full offseason as a 49er, so he doesn’t fully know what to expect. For now – as was evident as different combinations of people cycled on stage for pictures with Jimmy after his press conference – for now it’s about enjoying his financial perch atop the NFL.
“I’m excited. It’s been a long time coming for this thing,” Garoppolo said. “I’m excited for this next year, but we got a lot of work to do. We’re looking forward to it.”
