Let the speculation surrounding Tom Brady’s future begin.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick barely had time to process the team’s stunning 20-13 home loss to the Tennessee Titans before the elephant in the room was addressed.
Or rather, the goat in the room.
“Right now we just finished the game. So we are focused on this game, okay? I mean really,” Belichick said at the post-game presser, when asked if he thought Brady would be back.
The landscape for the Patriots could be drastically different in 2020. Most notably is the possibility of Brady leaving the team and finishing his career elsewhere.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could also be on the way out of New England with multiple head coaching jobs opening up across the league.
The 2019 season was incredibly disappointing offensively for Brady. Tight end Rob Gronkowski retired from the game, and wideout Julian Edelman battled through injuries for most of the season. Brady was essentially left with a ragtag group of receivers that couldn’t consistently run the right routes or create separation. There was also the lack of a running game behind an injury-riddled offensive front.
Considering the team-friendly discounts Brady has willingly signed throughout the years, along with helping deliver an unprecedented six Super Bowls to the city of Boston, it would be understandable how he might walk out of the season feeling like he was left hanging by the Patriots.
Unless they can assure him they can acquire the requisite weapons in 2020, he might have played his last snap in a Patriots uniform at Gillette Stadium.
