The NFL can be a cruel world, and Marcellus Wiley believes Tom Brady is in the process of figuring this out the hard way.
It’s been a trying season for Brady, who’s been at the helm of what’s largely been an anemic Patriots offense. After a hot start to the campaign, lingering injuries and a bit of roster turnover have hampered Brady and Co., who averaged just 18 points per game over their last four contests.
Many are pointing to Brady’s lack of high-end weapons as a primary reason for New England’s offensive struggles. While the Patriots rolled the dice on Antonio Brown, the case still can be made the organization didn’t do enough to provide for its 42-year-old quarterback. Wiley, however, believes Brady should feel no sense of betrayal from the only NFL franchise he’s ever known.
“Absolutely not. Tom Brady should feel betrayed by himself,” Wiley said Friday on FS1’s “Speak For Yourself. “He was told. His dad, Tom Brady Sr., said, ‘This is gonna end ugly, son.’ Tom Brady went out there and believed into something that I think a lot of players get caught up in, is this team nonsense. Nonsense, man. That organization ain’t your family. NFL stands for ‘Not For Long.’ So when you start going out there thinking this is a familiar environment and this is my family — you know what they say to guys who give money to their family? ‘It ain’t a loan, it’s a gift, ’cause you ain’t getting it back, brother.’ Same thing in this damn organization. They’re not giving you the money back and they’re not going to necessarily direct it toward the resources you think they should. You have to understand that if you’re Ton Brady, you were a made man and then you start giving out concessions in order to continue being a made man. Bet on yourself in those moments. I think his father told him how this was going to end and Tom Brady is coming to the ugly reality that this is how it’s going to end.”
Marcellus: Tom Brady shouldn’t feel betrayed by the Patriots, he should feel betrayed by himself. @MarcellusWiley pic.twitter.com/R7h6vImAos
— Speak For Yourself (@SFY) December 5, 2019
It remains to be seen how Brady’s Patriots tenure will end. The six-time Super Bowl champion is set to become a free agent at season’s end, and while retirement obviously is on the table, Brady on more than a few occasions has expressed his desire to play a few more seasons. Although Brady likely would generate a high level of interest on the open market, starting from scratch with a new team might be too grand of an undertaking for him at this stage in his career.
Not to mention, there’s always a chance New England could go on the aggressive in the offseason in pursuit of elite weapons for Brady. And if there’s any truth to the latest Odell Beckham Jr. rumors, the star wideout will be a player to keep an eye on this spring.
