Getty Mike Florio reports that Bill Belichick will decide Tom Brady's future in New England.
There’s a lot of chatter about Tom Brady these days, but the latest report from Mike Florio of NBC Sports is an interesting one.
According to Florio, Brady’s return with the New England Patriots hinges on one key figure in the organization — none other than head coach Bill Belichick. If Brady decides he wants to continue his career in New England, Belichick will have to be the one to give the OK to owner Robert Kraft.
“Ultimately, coach Bill Belichick has to want Kraft to write the check. Ultimately, Belichick needs to make it clear to Brady that Belichick values the quarterback’s contributions and wants him to stay with the team.
In other words, Belichick needs to drop to a knee and profess his love for Brady. If Belichick does that, Brady becomes far more likely to stay. If Belichick doesn’t, Brady becomes far more likely to leave.”
While we’ve been hearing all types of reports about Brady in recent days and recent weeks, this is certainly a new one. We all know in the hierarchy of an organization, the team owner has more power than anyone in the franchise — including the head coach. We obviously know that Kraft is Belichick’s boss, but it would seem that Belichick is the one who will ultimately decide Brady’s future with the Patriots.
Florio Says That Kraft Will Do Whatever Belichick Wants
Florio continues to explain that the only way Kraft signs Brady to a new deal is if Belichick wants him to. Florio goes so far as to say that Kraft will do “whatever Belichick wants him to do.”
“Caught in the middle of everything is Kraft. He’ll do whatever Belichick wants him to do, and a willingness to pay a soon-to-be-43-year-old quarterback more than $30 million per year shows that Kraft is more than willing to spend. Belichick needs to be willing and able to break down the wall that he keeps in place between himself and pretty much every player who ever has played for him.
And if anyone merits that kind of treatment, it’s Brady.
If it doesn’t happen and if Brady chooses to leave, it’s on Belichick and no one else.”
Would Belichick Really Move On From Brady?
Following the team’s season-ending loss to the Tennessee Titans, Belichick refused to comment on Brady’s free agency or commit to his future with the club.
Brady and Belichick are widely considered to be the greatest quarterback-head coach duo of all time. They’ve won six Super Bowls together and have appeared in nine total. In fact, they’ve never had a losing season since Brady became the starter in 2001 and they’ve only missed the playoffs just once — during the 2002 season.
Even when considering Brady will be 43 years old and the fact that he had a down season by his standards in 2019, it’s hard to envision the pair breaking up. It’s especially hard to imagine Belichick saying “no” to the idea of re-signing the legendary quarterback.
The NFL season may officially be over, but this is quickly becoming the most interesting offseason in years. In large part, due to the impending free agency of Brady.