Tom Brady Will Not Return to the New England Patriots

For 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.

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:

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:

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:

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:

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: