It certainly hasn’t been the best year for the Patriots, and now that they’ve been knocked out of the playoffs astonishingly early, the question on everyone’s mind is: what’s next for Tom Brady?
Will he keep playing for the Patriots?
Will he keep playing at all?
In a news conference Sunday morning, the Patriots’ Brady, Bill Belichick, and Robert Kraft discussed Brady’s future and the loss for the team. Brady stated that he’s “been so fortunate to play for such a great owner and for such a great coach,” striking fear in the hearts of Patriots fans. But Belichick countered that it’s too early to discuss anyone’s future, and Kraft added that his “hope and prayer” is that Brady will come back to the Patriots next year – breathing hope back into those concerned.
But, we think their comments can use a little further interpretation. And that’s what we’re here to do…
Brady: “I think I still can play at a championship level. I’ve just got to go do it. I’m motivated to get back to work and training.”
Translation: “These losses weren’t on my back. I’m still an elite quarterback worth holding onto and paying for, and if the Patriots don’t do it, someone else will.”
Kraft: “Before the season started, it was very important to Tom that he be free to do whatever he wanted at the end of the year. You know what I said to myself? That any person who plays 20 years for this team and helps us get to six Super Bowls, and been really selfless, has earned that right.”
As if he didn’t have the right in the first place?
Translation: “We won’t fight, but we certainly might not agree on anything in the end either.”
Belichick: “I think that everybody that is part of it is an important part of it…it’s not an individual decision. There are other people involved, and so there has to be some type of communication, understanding, agreement — whatever you want to call it — and that’s not a one-way street. I hope you can understand that. One person just can’t decide what everybody else is going to do when players aren’t under contract, and we have a lot of players that aren’t under contract.”
Translation: “In my world, we’re ready to move on from Brady already. He’s going to be 43 years old next year and coming off one of his worst seasons. It’s time to put him in the past.”