Free agency begins in a month and the New England Patriots haven’t begun contract talks with Tom Brady, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Brady, 42, has no plans to retire and hasn’t gave any indication on what his future plans are. There are reportedly 10 teams who have interest in Brady, but Reiss still believes there’s an 80 percent chance he remains with the Patriots. The legal tampering period opens up on March 16, where teams can negotiate with players. On March 18, free agency will officially begin and there should be a much clearer scope on his future.
Reiss elaborated on the situation.
It is officially one month until the start of the March 16 legal tampering period when teams can negotiate with representatives for upcoming free agents, which narrows the timeline for Brady, Kraft and Belichick to come together and have the all-important meeting to set the table for whether Brady will be back in New England. The Patriots are expected to seek clarity on Brady’s intentions before the start of free agency on March 18, because his decision will have a significant trickle-down effect on the team’s overall plans. With no movement to date, I’m sticking with 80% odds on Brady’s return at this time.
The Patriots waited too long on Rob Gronkowski’s decision last season and it became a regrettable situation. Gronkowski retired after free agency began and it left New England with few options on the board, resulting in a subpar tight end group in 2019.
New England will have to act quickly this year if Brady leaves, because there’s only a handful of viable starters in free agency. The Patriots would have to rely on the draft, or second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham if they couldn’t replace Brady with a veteran.
The countdown is on and the Patriots will likely have until the start of free agency to strike a deal before they have to move on.
