Report: Tom Brady to start preseason finale

Tom Brady will start tonight's preseason finale against the New York Giants in place of Jimmy Garoppolo, according to a report from CSNNE's Tom E. Curran.

It's not exactly the most surprising development of the Patriots' preseason -- after all, resting the starter in the fourth preseason game is customary. It was speculated that Garoppolo would see time, though, as a final tune-up after a rough outing last week against Carolina.

The game will also be Brady's last action before his four-game suspension takes effect Saturday at 4 p.m. More from Curran's report:

The Patriots will keep temporary starter Jimmy Garoppolo out of harm's way. He is not expected to play at all.

Brady will give way to rookie Jacoby Brissett at some point in the game. Brissett was 9-for-9 last week in the late stages of New England's preseason game against Carolina. He could use as much run as possible this week since he'll be the primary backup to Garoppolo through September, unless the Patriots make an unexpected move for a veteran. 

Brady expressed his desire to play this week, but after a shaky performance from Garoppolo last week against the Panthers, there was a school of thought that it was more urgent for Garoppolo to get himself right than for Brady to play.

The Patriots and Giants will kick off from MetLife Stadium at 7 p.m. Follow along with PatriotsLife for full coverage.

Follow Rob Riches on Twitter @Riches61