Report: 'Persistent belief' Patriots want to keep Garoppolo

The New England Patriots have given the NFL the impression they're absolutely prepared to keep Jimmy Garoppolo, despite constant trade talk involving the young passer.

There's a "persistent belief" around the league that the Patriots do truly want to keep their backup quarterback, a high-level employee of an AFC team recently told Mike Florio of Pro Football.

The Patriots' stance on Garoppolo remains murky. First, New England was reportedly unlikely to trade the former second-round pick; then, reports indicated the Patriots would entertain offers that blew them away.

It appears the NFL's shrewdest decision-makers are keeping the rest of the league guessing, though it's not hard to understand why the Patriots feel no compulsion to move Garoppolo.

The 25-year-old looked impressive in limited action at the start of the 2016 season, and with the Patriots' roster looking set for another Super Bowl run in 2017, head coach Bill Belichick could believe Garoppolo has more value as an insurance policy if Tom Brady is lost to injury.