BOSTON — News of New England Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's apparent departure spread like wildfire Friday morning after a message was posted to the player's Instagram account, but multiple reports said the message was fake and he was hacked.
It appeared as though Garoppolo was set to leave the team after a photo of him with the Super Bowl trophy said, “So grateful for my time in New England. Peace out Boston.”
The news immediately began to spread, but the validity of the post was called into question soon after.
FOX25 immediately reached out to the Patriots for clarification. The team said it doesn’t respond to speculation or social media posts and only makes comments when a move is official.
A spokesperson for Garoppolo told FOX25 Friday morning the quarterback's account was hacked.
The Instagram post was deleted about five hours after it was posted, and Garoppolo has still not released any information about it.
Rumors have been swirling for weeks about his possible departure from the Patriots.
Garoppolo’s stock went way up last season after he started two games when quarterback Tom Brady was suspended. He was injured in the second game against the Dolphins, but threw three touchdown passes before he left the game.