Raiders' Jimmy Garoppolo says Tom Brady's 'competitive spirit' still there: 'He was getting a little fiery'

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Jimmy Garoppolo has reunited with Tom Brady, though it's in a different capacity with the Las Vegas Raiders. 

Garoppolo, once Brady's backup with the New England Patriots, is the $72.5 million dollar man leading the team's offense heading into the 2023 season. Brady is officially done with his Hall of Fame career, but he's 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 "go ruin their night." 

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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 Oct. 22, 2017, in Foxboro, Mass.   (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Garoppolo told Fox News Digital he's loved being around Brady once again, and that moment before the Cowboys game showed him Brady's natural competitiveness is very much alive. 

"His competitive spirit, it still comes out even just getting ready for the Dallas preseason game," Garoppolo said. "He was in the locker room with us. You can feel it — that competitive spirit was coming out a little bit. He was getting a little fiery."

Garoppolo noted that Brady's a "mover and shaker," as he's dipping his financial interests in multiple buckets, including his minor stake purchase of Birmingham City, a soccer team in England. 

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But Garoppolo and Brady have reconnected in a big way. 

"We’ve talked about a ton of stuff," Garoppolo, set to enter his 10th year in the league, said. "On the field, off the field, different types of things. He’s got a lot going on right now. 

"Really happy for him and how everything’s going."

Garoppolo spent three years as Brady's backup in New England, winning two Super Bowl rings before he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. It wasn't until 2019, though, when Garoppolo finally got his shot at being the starter. 

He helped lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl that year, and they fell to the Kansas City Chiefs. Garoppolo is 40-17 for his career in the regular season, while securing big playoff victories on the road in tough stadiums, including 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 Aug. 26, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

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

Garoppolo is hoping Brady is around throughout the regular season. 

"Hopefully, he’ll be involved a bit here and there this year, but we’ll see," Garoppolo said. 

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

Before Garoppolo gets going in the regular season, he had the experience of a lifetime at Nellis Air Force Base, located just outside 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 go up to nine G's in F-16 fighter jets. 

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

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo poses next to F-16 fight jet on Nellis Air Force Base.  (Team Whistle/USAA)

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"It’s hard to describe really, but really a once-in-a-lifetime experience."