On March 17th, Patriots fans awoke to the news that Tom Brady, the most important man in the history of the franchise had announced that he was leaving the Patriots. His heartfelt message on social media pulled on the heartstrings of Patriots fans around the world who have watched him blossom over the last twenty years. For fans like myself, we have watched Brady play since we were born which makes it painful to see him go. Tom Brady achieved more than anyone could have predicted as he appeared in nine Super Bowls(winning six of them) to help create the greatest dynasty in the history of sports. He also created an unforgettable partnership with head coach Bill Belichick as they formed the best head coach-quarterback duo of all time. They accomplished an unprecedented 17 division titles and six Super Bowls that will never be matched. The departure of Brady has sparked many debates about how both sides are affected. I think that Brady leaving was the best decision for both sides for the short and long term.
The writing was on the wall all of last season that the unbelievable partnership between Brady and Belichick was fading. Although the Patriots went 12-4, the season was defined by the tone of Tom Brady as he was never happy during the year because of the struggles on offense. There are many moments of frustration from Brady that stick out such as the Texans game where Brady threw his helmet walking off the field and then the shot of him cussing out his teammates on the sideline on national television. Also, the Ravens game was interesting because announcer Cris Collingsworth said on the broadcast that Brady is the most unhappy 8-0 quarterback he has ever seen. This continued throughout the season as Brady was never truly able to buy into the weapons around him as the offense struggled to produce points all year. The wild card game against the Titans was the last straw as the offense once again struggled and Brady threw a pick six to end the game. The wild card game was the ending to an otherwise boring season for the Patriots.
Tom Brady’s decision to leave the Patriots is great for him as he can truly enjoy football again. The last few years have been a struggle for Brady as his relationship with Belichick deteriorated and his play started to decline because of it. Brady’s lack of weapons were a result of Belichick as he failed to surround him with the weapons he needed. This led to the Patriots changing their offensive style by going to the run game which made Brady look like an average quarterback. This frustrated Brady because he felt that he could still perform at a high level, he just needed the weapons that he had in the past. The weapons that Brady were given last year was a disgrace as his tight ends were Matt Lacosse and Ryan Izzo and his second and third receivers were rookie N’keal Harry and Mohammed Sanu who played on a high ankle sprain. With Brady heading to Tampa, he now has great weapons surrounding him in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin who are two true number one receivers that can help him put up big numbers again. The move to Tampa gives Brady everything he desires as he can put up MVP numbers again as he can throw the ball down the field in Bruce Arians high powered offense. Also, Brady will be able to enjoy playing again as Bruce Arians is one of the most loved coaches in the league.
The Patriots are going to take a hit next year post-Brady but the future could be bright in Foxborough. Tom Brady leaving the Patriots is negative for the short term as the Patriots have the number one strength of schedule in the league but will benefit them in the long run because of the financial implications. There was no reason to bring back Brady at 30 million per year because the team was in no position to win a super bowl. The Patriots lacked cap space this offseason so they would not have been able to surround Brady with better weapons. The 2020 season would just be the same as last year because Brady would have no weapons and you would be paying Brady 30 million a year just to lose in the wild card round. As a result of Brady leaving the Patriots now to turn to first year starter Jarrett Stidham to lead the team into the future. If Stidham is the future, the Patriots will be in great shape because they will have a good quarterback on a rookie contract that they can build around. This has been the popular trend in the NFL this decade as many teams have been successful with great quarterbacks on rookie contracts. The Seahawks won a Super Bowl in 2013 with Russell Wilson on a rookie contract, the Rams got to the Super Bowl with Jared Goff on a rookie contract, and the Chiefs won the Super Bowl this year with Patrick Mahomes on a rookie contract. The Patriots are projected to be in the top ten for teams with the most cap space in 2021 with over 100 million so if Stidham is good, the Patriots will be able to surround him with high end talent.
Overall, Tom Brady leaving the Patriots is a tough one to swallow but as they say life goes on and both sides will benefit from the breakup. The Patriots will still be interesting as long as Belichick is the coach and Patriots fans will still be able to watch Brady play a lot this year. Hopefully both sides succeed and maybe we will get a Brady vs. Belichick Super Bowl.
Thompson's Takes 