Tom Brady seemingly revealed in a passionate Instagram post Wednesday that he plans to play football next season.
Now, the question is whether he’ll suit up for the New England Patriots, whose championship defense came to a screeching halt Saturday night with a 20-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans in the opening round of the NFL playoffs.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported in a piece published Wednesday that several NFL executives and coaches just can’t imagine Brady leaving New England, the only franchise he’s ever known. Brady has won six Super Bowl titles in 20 seasons with the Patriots, cementing himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history, and signing elsewhere inevitably would require him to make some adjustments, for better or worse.
Not everyone is convinced Brady will stay in New England, though. There’s long been talk that Bill Belichick once wanted to move on from Brady in favor of Jimmy Garoppolo, only to be overruled by Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Thus it’s fair to wonder whether the 42-year-old QB actually might welcome change this offseason upon becoming a free agent for the first time in his NFL career.
“I don’t know that that’s the case there anymore,” one AFC scout told Fowler of Brady’s future in New England. “Both sides might want a change.”
Brady is coming off a 2019 season in which he underperformed relative to his typically high level of production. But the Patriots still went 12-4 during the regular season en route to their 11th consecutive AFC East title. It’s not like they’re in total disarray despite the current uncertainty in Foxboro.
Ultimately, Brady’s decision might come down to money and/or the supporting cast New England provides. Then again, maybe he really will just want a fresh start. Whatever the case, motivation doesn’t seem to be an issue given Brady’s apparent desire to fight off retirement for at least one more season.
