We all know the New England Patriots. Since the 2001 season, this is a franchise that has won six Super Bowl championships and a team that is led by a legendary head coach in Bill Belichick and the greatest quarterback to ever play the game in Tom Brady. With all of the success and extraordinary status, however, comes with a flock of rumors and constant drama.
Over the years, there’s been one particular rumor that not only has kept going, but it’s also been growing with each passing offseason, and I’m referring to the possibility of Tom Brady actually leaving the New England Patriots. Yes, that’s a real thing, and it’s picked up a load of steam. So much, that even betting sportsbooks across the country have placed odds on the situation.
With that being said though, the New England Patriots are still the favorites to retain Tom Brady and they’re placed at -210 odds to do so, according to the sportsbook BetOnline.
As far as the other odds and other teams that Brady could go to, the Los Angeles Chargers are the top franchise to the oddsmakers who could take away the G.O.A.T. from the Patriots at +275. As far as the other options are concerned, the Chicago Bears sit in third place at +1200 odds, while the Tennessee Titans are in the No. 4 position at +1500. Also on the list, we have a retirement option at +210.
Well, to answer that question, yes, he could certainly leave. As far as why he would do it, I don’t have a good reason for you there. One of the biggest reasons that you could speculate about is simply money. The reason why I say that is because when you look through Brady’s career, you notice that he’s been underpaid throughout, and on a historical level considering that he’s a six-time Super Bowl champion. As a matter of fact, he’s currently in the middle of the league when it comes to quarterback salaries with a No. 14 ranking.
Yes, you read that correctly. Tom Brady, out of all people, is only receiving average quarterback money. It’s understandable why he would want to get his money with him now being 42 years old, and he can also add to that with endorsement deals in Los Angeles, which is why the Chargers are placed as the favorites to take Brady away from the New England Patriots. Not only do they have talent to work with where Tom can win, but they also have the salary cap to pay Brady and can offer the Hollywood perks. It would make perfect sense for Tom Brady to leave for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Something else that could be in play as well is the head coaching of the New England Patriots, and I’m of course referring to Bill Belichick. Despite Tom Brady winning Super Bowl after Super Bowl for his head coach, he doesn’t necessarily get the best treatment and respect — and get to have fun at that, despite how great Belichick is. Tom has paid his dues (and got that paid off years and years ago), and it’s perfectly understandable if he went elsewhere to get his respect. Money and respect, they’re two great assets to have, and at 42 years old, you’ve got to get yours now. We have no idea how much longer Brady will be great for, and I’m sure he is thinking the same thing.
The only other reasons that you could consider for a Tom Brady departure is because of him originally being from California and the fact that he put his Massachusetts home up for sale. As far as him being a West Coast kid, that hasn’t really been talked about much as far as Brady’s decision-making is concerned.
It could certainly be in his mind, especially from what we’ve seen in the past with athletes going back home. We saw it with LeBron James, we saw it recently with Kawhi Leonard and we could soon see it with Tom Brady.
Let’s be honest here though. Even though this rumor continues to pick up steam and the conversations about Brady leaving continue to increase, it’s still incredibly hard to imagine Tom Brady with some other team besides the New England Patriots. When you think of the Patriots franchise, what do you think of right off of the bat: Constant winning and championship success, Bill Belichick as their head coach, and last but not least, Tom Brady as their starting quarterback. It’s just extraordinarily hard for me to picture Brady with another team, especially considering it’s nearly impossible to remember the National Football League before he entered — winning championship, after championship, after championship, after championship with the New England Patriots is all I have in my recent memory. That’s why it’s so hard to envision.
As far as the latest reports are concerned, if Tom Brady does leave the New England Patriots, he himself has already expressed interest in joining the Los Angeles Chargers. There’s also another piece of news that has him linked to the Chicago Bears. Even with all of that being said though, it could just all be noise.
As far as Brady putting his house on the market is concerned, it actually shouldn’t be viewed as a big deal. Yeah, they’re selling their house, but the new house that they’re purchasing is still in the New England area located in Greenwich, Connecticut, and despite Brady’s interest in the Chargers, he would say publicly to not read much into it.
This is what he would tell the New York Post:
“You shouldn’t read into anything. I think it takes a long time to sell a house. My house is a little bit of an expensive one, so it doesn’t quite fly off the shelf in a couple of weeks.”
I do believe that there’s a chance that he could go to the Los Angeles Chargers if things line up just right, but even as the only realistic option for Brady, I view the Chargers as a massive long shot. The conversations, the rumors, the speculation, it’s all fun to talk about, but I just don’t see Tom Brady leaving — not after everything he’s been through with this franchise and winning six championship rings with them.
Tom Brady will be a New England Patriot in 2020.
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