Getty New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
The 2019 New England Patriots season came to an abrupt halt on Saturday when the sixth-seeded Tennessee Titans pulled a playoff upset in Foxborough.
And with the end of the season could come the end of a 20-year long dynasty that has seen New England win six Super Bowl titles behind Tom Brady. With the long-time, legendary quarterback set to enter free agency for the first time in his career, questions about his future in New England and in the NFL have never been more abundant.
Following the game, Brady addressed his future after being peppered with questions during his postgame press conference.
Follow the Heavy on Patriots Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors, and content!
Tom Brady Addresses Fans & His Retirement Rumors
Brady answered various questions about his future, Patriots fans, and his contract situation as well. When asked about the fan support he’s gotten, Brady, who said earlier in the week he wasn’t one for nostalgia, talked very emotionally and candidly about his time in New England.
“I personally appreciate everything [the fans] contributed over the course of many years and I’m just very grateful for the experience of playing this year for this team and over the course of my career too. I appreciate it, I’ve always tried to do the right thing out there but who knows what the future holds, we’ll leave it at that…”
“I love the Patriots. It’s the greatest organization and playing for Mr. Kraft all these years and Coach Belichick there’s nobody who’s had a better career than me just being with them so I’m very blessed and I don’t know what the future looks like so I’m not going to predict it. I wish we’d won tonight and I wish we’d done a lot of things better over the course of the season but we didn’t get the job done.” Brady concluded.
“Who knows what the future holds. We’ll leave it at that.”
—Tom Brady following the Patriots loss
Will Tom Brady Retire?
When pressed at first about his retirement, Brady was hesitant to address the subject, saying he had just come off the field. But after being asked a second time, Brady said “I would say it’s pretty unlikely, hopefully unlikely” that he would retire.
On the CBS broadcast, color commentator Tony Romo shared these sentiments: “I think he’s coming back to play. He’s not done. He needs help around him. I think he’s coming back.”
“It feels that way, and to me, it feels that you’re going to see the three of them [Brady, Belichick, and McDaniels] go separately.” – Tony Romo on whether the Patriots Dynasty is over
Though this was an opinion, Romo poses a good point. If Brady were to hang it up now, his final season would be one of the worst statistically in his career and his last-ever pass attempt would be a pick-six by Logan Ryan. Talk about leaving a sour taste in your mouth.
Whether it’s in New England or elsewhere, Brady will likely be playing football in 2020. Given his familiarity with the Patriots, Brady may opt to stay and give it one last go at winning another Super Bowl title. Or he may opt to test the waters of free agency and look to cement his legacy as the greatest of all time by winning a Super Bowl elsewhere.
READ NEXT: 5 Potential Candidates to be Patriots Quarterback in 2020