Tom Brady’s free agency already was unpredictable.
Now, a pandemic is throwing the entire sports world into a tailspin.
The NFL announced Thursday it has no plans to delay the start of the new league year, which begins next Wednesday, March 18 at 4 p.m. ET, but ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio can’t help but wonder whether the ongoing coronavirus outbreak ultimately will impact Brady’s decision on whether to re-sign with the Patriots or take his talents elsewhere after 20 seasons in New England.
“I’m telling you, a new factor in all of this that Tom Brady may not have even realized yet but I think he will: the extent to which coronavirus potentially impacts and limits the offseason training program,” Florio said Thursday on “ProFootballTalk Live.”
“That may make leaving the Patriots less attractive because it will minimize his opportunities to get himself ready with a new team. We haven’t seen him at OTAs much in recent years, but he knows that system like the back of his hand. Going to a new place, I think there’s gonna be a premium on getting yourself properly ensconced with the coaching staff, with your teammates, with the city, with the facility, with everything. And if we see that shrunken in any way, shape or form, that becomes a factor for Tom Brady.”
It’s admittedly hard to focus too much on Brady’s free agency given the severity of the coronavirus crisis. Florio raises some interesting points, though, and that’s without even considering whether the global outbreak will cause the veteran quarterback to ask himself questions that extend well beyond the gridiron and the possible football ramifications of the current situation.
