Jimmy Garoppolo's Instagram account posted a goodbye to Boston, but many feel it is a hoax

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March 10, 2017 12:27 PM

[UPDATE] The post has now been deleted.

Jimmy Garoppolo of the New England Patriots.

[Earlier] In the early hours of Friday morning, Jimmy Garoppolo's verified Instagram account sparked trade rumors with a post saying goodbye to the city of Boston. While many feel it is a hoax, the post remains up at the time of this writing.

The post includes a photo of Garoppolo holding the Lombardi Trophy and includes the caption, "So grateful for my time in New England. Peace out Boston." It went up at approximately 4 a.m. on the east coast.

Here is a screengrab of the post:

Despite the post remaining up for more than several hours, many believe it is a hoax.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network spoke to somebody "close to Jimmy Garoppolo." That person told Rapoport that they are not aware of any trade and that they "believes it's a hack."

Adam Schefter reportedly told WEEI in Boston that Garoppolo's account was "hacked."

Garoppolo has been the subject of trade speculation in recent weeks as he is due to become a free agent following the 2017 season. The team mentioned most often is the Cleveland Browns who even have a "dream scenario" that involves trading for the Patriots backup quarterback.

However, Josina Anderson of ESPN spoke with a source with the Browns and she was told there are "no trade talks" involving the Browns and Garoppolo.

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