Much was made about the lack of New England Patriots mention from Tom Brady in his retirement announcement on February 1. Brady acknowledged the Patriots later that day, writing, “Thank you Patriots Nation. I’m beyond grateful. Love you all,” after the team posted a statement about his retirement from Patriots owner Robert Kraft. But to many, that acknowledgment still felt too small to honor his 20-year career with the team.
One Fox studio personality suggested “there’s a reason to be optimistic” that something big could be on the way from Brady and the Patriots.
Wildes: ‘There’s Something Major Afoot’
On a recent episode of “First Things First,” Kevin Wildes proposed an admittedly “half-baked idea” based on “disparate shards of intel” that a “massive” event or announcement is coming from Brady and the Patriots down the road.
Wildes’ “evidence” starts with the image Brady used in his retirement post. According to Providence Journal Patriots reporter Mark Daniels, “The photo of Tom Brady used to announce his retirement was taken on Oct. 3 – inside Gillette Stadium when the Bucs beat the Patriots. I do not think that’s a coincidence.”
“Neither do I, Mark,” Wildes said.
.@kevinwildes has a theory why Tom Brady left NE out of his initial retirement announcement, and why Pats fans should be optimistic.
“There is something major afoot. I think there is something massive coming to Foxborough. There’s a reason to be optimistic, Patriots Nation.”
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Wildes then highlighted Brady’s own words following that October 3 game at Gillette Stadium. “It’s been a great stadium for me for a long time, so I don’t know what the future holds, you know, obviously there could be an opportunity to come back here,” Brady said during the postgame press conference.
Finally, Wildes pointed out that Kraft’s statement included a never-before-seen logo at the bottom that features a football player about to throw a ball above the number 12 — Brady’s jersey number.
A privilege to watch and a dream come true.
Statement from Robert Kraft on Tom Brady: t.co/YsXbvFx12d
What could the Patriots offer Brady at this point that might be intriguing to him?
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Could Tom Brady Join the Patriots’ Coaching Staff?
For most retired legends, an offer to become the offensive coordinator under Belichick would be a huge compliment. But the desire to prove he could win without Belichick was at least some of the fuel for Brady’s fire when he left the Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2020.
Brady joining the Patriots’ front office also seems unlikely considering he’d still report to Belichick, who is the de facto general manager in New England. While Belichick, 69, won’t be on the sidelines forever, there are no indications he plans to retire anytime soon.
One possible position for Brady is as a special advisor to Kraft, or perhaps some sort of minority owner.
There are potential opportunities for Brady beyond the Patriots. He could be part of the ownership group for the NFL’s next American expansion team, lending a respected face to a new organization in need of validity.
He could even become head coach of a major university, perhaps an SEC school. How powerful a recruiting tool would it be for Brady to walk into a kid’s living room to convince them to come to his program?
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NFL Analyst: ‘Something Massive’ Coming With Patriots & Tom Brady