It’s easy to imagine New England Patriots fans were hoping for a pleasant surprise last week — the return of Tom Brady. Instead there was bad news: Brady decided to head to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
There were and are bigger things to worry about in the world. But Brady’s decision was, of course, a downer during New England’s free agency flurry. New England has made a habit of letting high profile players leave. No departure has ever been as big as Brady.
Brady was the face of the Patriots for 20 years and nine Super Bowl appearances with six wins. He’s long been the king of Boston — and all of New England. In 2020, however, he’s going to wear a different jersey. Here are eight thoughts on his departure.
1. Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time. Nothing will change his legacy in New England.
Not that this needs restating, but I’ll restate it anyway.
He will be the most accomplished athlete in Boston sports history, in all likelihood. Brady’s six Super Bowls are a staggering achievement. My soon-to-be uncle-in-law mentioned something interesting about Keith Richards. He was once asked what a 70-year-old rockstar looks like. He responded: Let’s find out. That has been what is most fascinating element of Brady’s final years — not only was he pushing the boundaries in the record book for a quarterback, but he was also doing it at an age when a quarterback hadn’t even served as a starter in 16 regular season games.
2. Brady and Belichick can build upon their legacies
The debate about which man deserves more credit for the Patriots’ success is a tired, drawn-out argument. It will always go unresolved. But these two men will have a chance to further instill themselves in the history books with independent success.
Surely, if Brady puts up huge numbers in coach Bruce Arian’s offense, the quarterback will build upon his successes in New England. If Belichick starts winning games with Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer, the coach will earn extra respect, as well.
Their success as individuals can also grow in the years to come, even if when they retire, they will mostly be remembered as a tandem.
3. Brady and Belichick didn’t want to be together
Every indication points toward both parties being ready to break up with the other. Brady was open to returning to New England, but he had a few requests, according to Sports Illustrated. And Belichick was open to re-signing Brady, but he had a few stipulations. Ultimately, Brady’s requests and Belichick’s stipulations didn’t align, which led to a breakup.
It’s likely we’ll learn more about this divorce in the coming days, weeks and months. But keep in mind that Belichick has a long history of ruthlessly moving on from even his best players. And perhaps, in this case, Brady is no different. That’s why I found it hard to believe owner Robert Kraft’s claims that Brady didn’t want to be back.
4. The Buccaneers’ depth chart was the best option for Tom Brady, by far
Even Brady seemed to recognize it. During the Buccaneers interview with the Buccaneers, he seemed to be pitching himself at some points, according to Sports Illustrated and the Tampa Bay Times. He knew they were the best landing spot, and he wanted them to feel reassured in investing in Brady, first and foremost, and eventually in an improved supporting cast.
It seems the supporting cast is still a work in progress. The Bucs probably need to add a starter at right tackle and depth at receiver. But they have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate. It’s a stacked group at the top.
5. The Patriots seemed unprepared for the QB’s departure, and they’re likely to be worse in 2020
The Patriots didn’t have much cap space heading into this free agency. At the moment when they had to fight hardest to retain Brady, Belichick seemed to give up. Just before free agency, the coach re-signed Matthew Slater, Devin McCourty and Joe Thuney. That solidified leadership within the locker room, even the event Brady left. It also made it almost impossible for Brady to return, considering the Patriots were down to $5 million in cap space. It was a strange sequence of events.
So that leaves the team with a cast of quarterbacks that are definitely not Tom Brady: Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer and Cody Kessler. Considering the Patriots have to play the AFC West and the NFC West in 2020, New England may end up battling to stay above .500.
6. Jarrett Stidham is the front-runner to start
He beat out Hoyer for the second-string spot in 2019. And Stidham retained his second-string role after Kessler joined the team. When Brady was injured, Stidham took first-team reps, Belichick said last season. By that logic, Stidham should be the favorite to start in 2020. With another year in the system, he should be even more familiar and more comfortable taking the No. 1 spot in Josh McDaniels’ offense.
7. Don’t discount Cody Kessler or Brian Hoyer
Hoyer’s agent Joe Linta said the quarterback picked the Patriots because he believed he had a chance to win the starting job.
“If someone offered him $5 million or $6 million to be backup, Brian still would’ve wanted to be back in New England,” Linta said to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. “They gave him a chance to compete for the starting job and that’s all he asked for.”
What’s more, Kessler isn’t a bad option either. Like so many quarterbacks before and after him, Kessler struggled with the Browns and the Jaguars. Though he was 2-10 as a starter, he also completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 2,215 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. It wasn’t stellar. But maybe he can be more prolific in New England.
8. The pressure moves to Julian Edelman, Sony Michel, N’Keal Harry and Mohamed Sanu
The offensive line will come into focus, too — at least internally. But inside and outside the organization, folks will focus on how well the skill players can support the next quarterback in New England. Edelman will be a trooper, no matter what. He’ll find ways to be reliable. James White is probably in the same boat. Though there may be some question as to how productive they’ll be now that Brady is gone.
The rest of the skill players are facing uncertainty and scrutiny. Harry had a disappointing rookie season — he struggled hugely to beat press coverage and separate downfield. Sanu seemed plagued by an ankle injury. And Michel’s slump was a bit puzzling, perhaps as a product of center David Andrews’ season-ending blood clots diagnosis.
If the Patriots offense is going to hum in 2020, it will be because Harry, Sanu and Michel play significantly better than they did in 2019.
