Garoppolo is expected to start Thursday's preseason contest against the Saints, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
In anticipation of Tom Brady's four-game suspension to start the season, Garoppolo will handle snaps with the first-teamers, but the likely absences of Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman (foot), Danny Amendola (knee), and Dion Lewis (knee), among others, won't really mimic the reality of Weeks 1-4. No matter, the grooming of Garoppolo will begin in earnest Thursday.