In 2019, tensions escalated between Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to the point where Brady was willing to forgo the entire season.
Reports suggested that Brady was pushing for a new contract before the season commenced, aiming for a two-year deal worth $50M, as per Tom E. Curran.
Although Brady eventually secured his desired terms, he had prepared himself to sit out the entire season, even advising then-Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer to be prepared to step in for the entirety of the year.
“I remember one day Tom coming to me and being like, “Hey babe, just be ready to play the whole year.’ And I remember being like, ‘What happened? Did you get hurt? What’s going on?’ And he said, ‘I just want to prepare you,’ and he kind of left it at that. I don’t know if you all remember, there was the day in training camp that year where he didn’t practice. I got all the reps because at the time, it was just me and (Jarrett) Stidham. The next day, he had that new contract. And I think at that point, it was more about being able to become a free agent after that year.”
Ultimately, Brady inked a two-year, $70M contract in 2019, but he parted ways with the Patriots after the season. Opting for free agency, he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he promptly led the team to victory in the Super Bowl during his inaugural year with the franchise.
It’s wild to hear about how bad things got between the Patriots and Brady now. On the outside looking in then, things did not appear as bad as they have turned out to be.
Moving forward, it will be interesting to hear what other details leak about the end of Brady’s tenure in New England.
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