When Tom Brady told Robert Kraft he wanted to meet Monday, the New England Patriots owner thought it was so they could talk about a new contract.
Whoops!
Brady instead met with Kraft to tell him he was leaving the franchise after two decades, a decision the quarterback announced Tuesday morning.
Kraft tried to make clear Tuesday that Brady was the one who wanted to leave and that otherwise the Patriots would’ve found a way to keep him.
In a statement to The Boston Globe’s Jim McBride, Kraft indicated the ultimate purpose of Monday’s meeting was different than what he thought it would be.
#Patriots owner Robert Kraft told me he thought Tom Brady was calling to work out a new contract Monday night. "He convinced me it was best for him to move on and sometimes when you love someone like a family member, you just have to respect it and let them do their thing."
— Jim McBride (@globejimmcbride) March 17, 2020
Brady now reportedly has a pair of offers on the table, one from the Los Angeles Chargers and another from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s free to negotiate with any team whenever he wants, but he’s not eligible to sign anywhere until 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday at the earliest.
