Tom Brady Is Too Good for Patriots Reunion

Tom Brady is in the Boston sports news once again. No, not because he cussed out a teammate and the Buccaneers look like a bad decision. Instead, it’s something I never thought I’d be writing about since his departure from New England in 2020; The possibility of the GOAT returning home to New England to finish his career with the Patriots.

It all started with a prediction piece from The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, saying that Tom Brady could very well be dawning navy blue and playing back in Gillette Stadium after leaving Tampa Bay in 2023. His contract is up after this season, and with the Buccaneers currently sitting at 6-6 (same as his former team), it’s unlikely he sticks around on Florida’s west coast. Nor does it feel like he’ll retire, as Brady’s competitive juices won’t allow him to go out with a Wild Card round exit at most this post-season.

Is It Ridiculous?

But New England? Seriously? How soon we forget just how sour things got at the end of his 20-year tenure as a Patriot. Forcing the Patriots organization to configure his contract to make him a free agent at the end of the 2019-20 season. Finishing with a wild card beatdown from Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans. Brady threw for just 24 touchdowns, barely over 4,000 yards, and the lowest passer rating he had in six years. A change of scenery was needed. The core of the Patriots offense was on its way out. Superstar slot receiver Julian Edelman would retire following the 2020 season. James White the year after that. Stars on the defense like Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Kyle Van Noy, and Dont’a Hightower would all be gone by the time this piece was written.

And it’s not like the Patriots are in any better of a spot than what Brady’s leaving in Tampa. There’s still no top-end stud in the receiver room of Foxboro. There are two in Tampa with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The offensive line is at best a wash, and the Patriots will have further addressing to do this off-season.

Never mind the coaching situation. Second-year quarterback Mac Jones can barely deal with failed coach Matt Patricia calling plays as a defensive coach trying to do offense. Do you think Brady, a perfectionist, football maniac is about to take plays from somebody who doesn’t even have the title of offensive coordinator? The boo-hoo Brady crew can complain about Byron Leftwich until the cows come home, but the Patriot loyalists will take him any day over the conundrum that’s been created by Bill Belichick in Foxboro.

Concluding Thoughts

Let’s face it, Tom Brady is too good for the Patriots. Last night’s 13-point comeback victory for Tampa Bay should be enough to prove it. Brady isn’t doing that with Patricia calling plays, or with his best receivers being Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers, and DeVante Parker. Sure, Rhamondre Stevenson might be better than Leonard Fournette and Rachaad White at this point in his career. But a running back isn’t going to make the difference here for Brady’s consideration.

This is a rebuilding team, trying to build around a young quarterback, who may or may not be “the guy”. They’re not in the market of signing somebody like Brady, who is absolutely just trying to ring chase. He’s not coming to Foxboro not only because this team isn’t good enough, but the AFC East isn’t easy anymore. The Patriots are 6-6 and still sit at the bottom of the division. The Bills, Dolphins, and Jets are all better than the Pats both on record and on paper. There are no free wins for this team anymore. I think the appeal of a weaker division would probably appeal to a soon-to-be 46-year-old Brady, looking for just one more championship before heading to the booth during FOX’s gameday broadcasts.

Now, I’m not saying I’d hate the move. You’d be stupid to reject the chance of the greatest quarterback of all time having a storybook ending, coming home to New England. Giving it one last go with Bill Belichick as he chases Don Shula’s win record, and Brady chases an eighth Super Bowl. But this Patriots team just isn’t the right fit. It’s a lateral move at best for TB12. And I’d even call it a downgrade.

Brady is going to want a strong supporting cast, great coaching, and a relatively easy path to winning a division. The Patriots in the AFC East don’t offer anything close to that. And I don’t think Belichick would be all that keen on stunting the development of their 2021 first-round signal caller to have Brady come here and compose seasons that will probably be comparable to the 2019 year.

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