Patriots get set to prepare for rare stint without Brady

(Reuters) - The New England Patriots drafted quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo last year with an eye on readying for life without Tom Brady, but the reigning Super Bowl champions never anticipated that time would come so soon. Brady, 37, was suspended four games by the National Football League on Monday for his role in Deflategate and if his appeal is unsuccessful, Garoppolo will likely be under center when New England open their regular season on Sept. 10. Garoppolo, taken 62nd overall by New England, completed 70.4 percent of his 27 pass attempts for 182 yards and a touchdown in relief of Brady last season and did not take a snap during the team's playoff run. After New England drafted Garoppolo, there was plenty of debate about whether it was with the intention of replacing former Patriots backup Ryan Mallett or seeking an eventual successor to Brady. "We know what Ryan's contract situation is," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said at the time. "We know what Tom's age and contract situation is. "I don't think you want to have one quarterback on your team. I don't think that's responsible to the entire team or the organization." Since taking over the starting job in the third game of the 2001 campaign, Brady has started every game for the Patriots, with the only exceptions coming in 2008 when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener. Matt Cassel, who had never started a game and made only 39 pass attempts combined in his three previous seasons, stepped in and led the Patriots to an impressive 11-5 record but missed the playoffs by virtue of a tiebreaker. Barring an unlikely change at quarterback before the season opener, the 23-year-old Garoppolo, considered an intelligent passer, will not have to hold the fort for nearly as long as Cassel had to do when Brady went down with an injury. Many experts feel the Patriots will go 2-2 during the four-game stretch without Brady. After opening the season at home against Pittsburgh, New England will visit division rival Buffalo, host Jacksonville and then visit Dallas after a bye week. A slow start does not mean the Patriots should be ruled out of the playoff discussion as they started last season 2-2 before going on to win their fourth Super Bowl in nine seasons. (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)