Benched Tom Brady Refuses To Congratulate Jimmy Garoppolo After His Touchdown

Tom Brady had a rough game. Going 14/23 for only 159 yards and throwing two picks en route to a 27-point loss to the Chiefs on Monday Night Football is surely not the way the future Hall of Fame quarterback envisioned his night. The performance was so bad that head coach Bill Belichick benched his star QB in favor of rookie Jimmy Garoppolo after the game was out of reach. Garoppolo then went on to drive the Patriots down the field for a touchdown. A touchdown that Tom Brady was happy to celebrate.

That is, with everybody except Jimmy Garoppolo.

According to the The Boston Globe, Brady was handing out high-fives to the offensive players coming off the field—Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, and the offensive linemen—but refused to acknowledge Garoppolo. No high-five. No congrats. Nothing. You'd think somebody familiar with the feeling of getting left hanging wouldn't be so cold.

Brady then sat away from the Eastern Illinois rookie, arms folded, never speaking to him. 

Brady just gave Garoppolo the snub of all snubs on the sideline. Wow

— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) September 30, 2014

Brady gave passive high-fives to the offensive player coming off. Gronk came over to Garoppolo to congratulate him. Brady ...... nothing

— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) September 30, 2014

It's not like Brady refused to give Garoppolo a high-five. He outright ignored him after the touchdown. Now is sitting on the bench alone

— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) September 30, 2014

Brady, of course, is a three-time Super Bowl champion and the unquestioned greatest quarterback in Patriots franchise history, but for a night Tom Terrific seemed more than a little vulnerable. Coach Belichick even got asked after the game whether he would "consider evaluating the quarterback position," to which he answered with a smirk and a dismissal.

We're guessing that means "no".

Garoppolo looked very comfortable under center for New England leading the very same offense Brady struggled with all night, but the chances a change is made at that position are somewhere between slim and none. Yet Jimmy Garoppolo getting the invisible treatment from Brady still speaks volumes. 

The 2-2 Patriots face the Bengals at home on Sunday night. Maybe next week Garoppolo can actually get a seat on the bench:

Garoppolo may have thrown his first touchdown pass, but he still can't get a seat on the bench. pic.twitter.com/vejI49Q7zl

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 30, 2014

[via The Boston Globe]