Tom Brady Will Not Return to the New England Patriots
FeaturedFor 20 seasons, Tom Brady has suited up in a New England Patriots uniform on Sundays. Over that time, he’s put up the stats and accolades that few others have been able to match.
Tom Brady had an incredible 20-year run with New England 👏
🔺 6x Super Bowl winner
🔺 4x Super Bowl MVP
🔺 3x Regular-Season MVP
🔺 2nd All-time pass yards
🔺 2nd All-time pass TD
🔺 1st All-time wins
🔺 14x Pro Bowl Selection pic.twitter.com/ktbLTGat7X— ESPN (@espn) March 17, 2020
However, Brady’s time with the franchise will come to an end. A free agent for the first time in his career, the 42-year-old has made the decision that he will continue to play football elsewhere:
FOREVER A PATRIOT pic.twitter.com/QSBOJBs4uy
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) March 17, 2020
LOVE YOU PATS NATION pic.twitter.com/lxSQZmnjPL
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) March 17, 2020
While both goodbyes are clearly emotional and heartfelt, the line that sticks out like a sore thumb is, “I don’t know what my football future holds but it is time for me to open a new stage for my life and career.”
Brady will be 43 when the next season starts and he has made it well known he intends to play until he’s at least 45, which would mean three more seasons remain for the GOAT.
The word around the league is that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers are the front runners for his services. Both teams offer upgrades in weapons (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and OJ Howard in Tampa and Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Hunter Henry in Los Angeles) which has been Brady’s main complaint about the last few teams in New England.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is also reporting that financially, both teams are willing to give Brady big money to join their teams:
The #Bucs made a strong offer to QB Tom Brady believed to be $30M or more. The #Chargers did, as well. And now, he’s leaving New England.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2020
Though we don’t know what’s next for Brady yet we do know his time with the Patriots is over. Owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick both released statements thanking and honoring Brady for what he was able to do for two decades in New England:
Statements from #Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft and Head Coach Bill Belichick on Tom Brady's Patriots career: https://t.co/DFmmbzAIdo pic.twitter.com/flVpDFB4HJ
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) March 17, 2020
In the end, it seems like a split was inevitable. Kraft has told anyone who would listen that had Brady told the team he wanted to return that they would have made things work:
Robert Kraft told me "if Tom wanted to remain a Patriot, we would have had a deal." Said Brady believes it was best to turn the page and start a new chapter of his life in football and beyond. #Patriots @nflnetwork
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) March 17, 2020
Meanwhile, word from Brady’s camp was that the lack of true negotiations from the Patriots was a turn off and that the quarterback was looking for the team to make more of an effort than they did:
In the end, a tangible effort by the Patriots to keep Tom Brady in New England never happened. No negotiation. Just the intimation that it was on Brady to say what he wanted. For Brady, that stance spoke volumes.
— Tom E. Curran (@tomecurran) March 17, 2020
