Patriots ‘Better Off’ Without Tom Brady, Says Ex-Teammate

Getty Better off Without Tom Brady?

Could the New England Patriots possibly be better off without the greatest quarterback to ever play in the NFL? That’s what Tom Brady’s former teammate said about his old club and teammate.

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Christian Fauria Says Patriots are “Better Off” Without Tom Brady

GettyChristian Fauria

Former Patriots tight end Christian Fauria is the man who made the bold statement. He was speaking with WEEI on Thursday and he said:

“They’re [Patriots] better off without him,” said Fauria. That comment alone would have left many Brady fans with a sour taste in their mouth. However, Fauria followed that up with some context.

Can I tell you why? And it has nothing to do with Brady’s skill set. It’s not because he’s not good or he can’t throw it, or he’s lost some speed on his fastball. It’s because where he was in his career, his age, what he wanted to achieve, and what the Patriots were trying to achieve were completely different. So it was never going to work out. They were never going to see eye to eye. This offense is not going to be able to move forward with Brady as the quarterback, not because he sucks. Those throwaways were important. It’s because he wasn’t willing to adapt. There’s the difference. He wasn’t willing to let N’Keal Harry grow.

Many will say, even with the context provided, there is no way the Patriots as currently constructed could be better without Brady. An offense led by an unproven QB in Jarrett Stidham or a career-long backup like Brian Hoyer and a host of unproven receivers and tight ends wouldn’t appear to have the requisite weapons to move forward.

It’s true, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have a better offense with Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans, and others. Those players would seemingly trump the Pats’ skill position guys. The Bucs may even have a better overall record than the Patriots in 2020, but that doesn’t mean Fauria is wrong.

Brady can’t play forever, and at some point, the Patriots had to start thinking about their future. If Brady was willing to be patient and work with the team’s young players, perhaps things would have been different. However, he’s such a competitor and so obsessed with winning, he couldn’t allow himself to be a part of players like Harry’s development.

The get-on-the-page-now approach isn’t the most conducive to develop young talent. Fauria clearly believes players like Harry, rookies like Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene, and others stand to learn more as they go on their NFL journey with a less-demanding QB like Stidham or Hoyer.

Who is Christian Fauria?

Fauria played 13 seasons in the NFL. Four of those seasons were with the Patriots. He won two Super Bowl rings alongside Brady. In 2002, Fauria caught a career-high seven touchdowns for a Patriots team that finished 9-7. That was arguably Fauria’s best season in the NFL.