TB12 Tells Kraft he's "willing to play another 6-7 years"

[bormio]

I don't believe Belichick would allow any player to diminish the fortunes of the team, and that includes Brady. That's different however from giving the job to a player who isn't as good, and moving on from him while he is still one of the best players in football, which is exactly what a number of people have been arguing for. I honestly think that Brady, like Bruschi, will be the first one to recognize that he can't perform at the level he needs to and will hang them up without Belichick having to tell him.

My recollection of what happened with Bruschi is that he watched tape of a practice early in that seasons camp and saw how slow he was and went to Belichick to tell him he was retiring.

He will recognize he sucks before many others do.

 

[Kontradiction]

I don't believe Belichick would allow any player to diminish the fortunes of the team, and that includes Brady. That's different however from giving the job to a player who isn't as good, and moving on from him while he is still one of the best players in football, which is exactly what a number of people have been arguing for. I honestly think that Brady, like Bruschi, will be the first one to recognize that he can't perform at the level he needs to and will hang them up without Belichick having to tell him.

My recollection of what happened with Bruschi is that he watched tape of a practice early in that seasons camp and saw how slow he was and went to Belichick to tell him he was retiring.

I don't recall many people that deserve to be taken seriously recommending that we move on from Brady in favor of Garappolo just yet. I've seen people saying the Patriots should keep Garoppolo since, at 40, Brady could fall off or get injured at any time and the Patriots would need someone in that event. In the end, I wouldn't be surprised to see Belichick play it safe and keep JAG this season unless Brissett shows that he's improved a lot and can handle the job if the opportunity presents itself. I, personally, don't agree with it. I think the Pats should take the draft return now since Brady hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, but Belichick may want to play it a little closer to the chest.

 

[Ivan]

I don't recall many people that deserve to be taken seriously recommending that we move on from Brady in favor of Garappolo just yet. I've seen people saying the Patriots should keep Garoppolo since, at 40, Brady could fall off or get injured at any time and the Patriots would need someone in that event. In the end, I wouldn't be surprised to see Belichick play it safe and keep JAG this season unless Brissett shows that he's improved a lot and can handle the job if the opportunity presents itself. I, personally, don't agree with it. I think the Pats should take the draft return now since Brady hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, but Belichick may want to play it a little closer to the chest.

I agree, the operative term being " people who deserve to be taken seriously."

 

[zydecochris]

Do you really think there's any harder that Brady could possibly work than he's working right now? Do you really think TB12 is not busting his hump right now and doing everything he physically and mentally can to stay fit and healthy?

All this just confirms something I've thought from my observation of Mr. Brady in action.

he is not going to go quietly into that good night. He is not going to accept that he's done even when it's clear that he's done. He is not going to admit when he's had enough, it's going to take someone else making the decision to cut him off, or else a major injury, to get him to walk away from the game.

I'm not interested in moving on from TB12 until we have to. I won't sacrifice Brady's peak years and neither will Belichick or Kraft. But I want the team to be planning, and know the team is planning, for that day that will come when TB12 doesn't have it anymore and the best move the franchise can make is the one where it waves goodbye to Brady and moves on to the next guy.

Which doesn't mean throw away TB12, it means that even if Garoppolo goes, we'll have a guy who is the next guy, in the wings waiting for his chance, for the rest of TB12's career. That's why I've said before that I do expect the team to draft a quarterback in this draft, or sign a UDFA, one of the two, and I expect the team to carry 3 or 4 quarterbacks for the rest of TB12's time here, with 1 always being an obvious prospect.

Why do you say that he won't go quietly into the night? Maybe it is just wishful thinking, but I absolutely HATE the idea of a washed-up or hobbled Brady playing for another team.

Probably the primary reason an athlete keeps playing way past his prime is $$$, and I think that motivates Brady less than any NFL player I can think of (other than the great Pat Tillman, perhaps). Plus, Brady is such a perfectionist I can't imagine him continuing to hang on (especially with another team) after he started to "suck". He has essentially said that himself, that he will retire when he "sucks". I suspect that "sucking" to a perfectionist like Brady would still be a higher level of play than that of many QB.

I was trying to think of another multiple championship winning great, great team-first player who was taking less money to help the team and how they retired. I frankly can't think of any NFL player like that, Brady would be the first. The closest I can think of was the great Tim Duncan in the NBA. Great, great player, multiple championships, and he played for a pittance the last few years so the team could stock up at other positions. He kept playing at a high level (remarkably so even the year before he retired), and then in 2016 he finally looked his age and he quietly retired.

I could see Brady going out the same way. It is similar to how Bruschi went out, Bruschi wasn't in the same stratosphere as Brady as a player of course but he took less money to remain with the team, was a team first player, won many championships, and he retired quietly with honor as a Patriot when it was obvious his performance had declined. I can only hope that it will be the same with Brady.

 

[farn]

Belichick also believes that availability is the most important thing for any player, and Jimmy Garrapolo couldn't make it through two games and wasn't available when they needed him week four.

I agree. I am not advocating "keeping Jimmy". Just trying to see if there is any truth to the reports the back up is still on this team in the Fall.

I'm still hoping he gets moved for major compensation.

 

[Ivan]

I agree. I am not advocating "keeping Jimmy". Just trying to see if there is any truth to the reports the back up is still on this team in the Fall.

I'm still hoping he gets moved for major compensation.

I agree. I'm fine with it either way. I would rather get the picks now but the offers aren't good enough then just let it play out.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Belichick also believes that availability is the most important thing for any player, and Jimmy Garrapolo couldn't make it through two games and wasn't available when they needed him week four.

As I've said more than once, the single data point of an injury against a defense that managed to knock more than half a dozen QBs out of games during the season neither proves nor disproves anything about Garoppolo.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Not sure if anyone has posted this yet, but here is Manish Mehta's take.

Tom Brady is delusional for thinking he'll play 6 or 7 more years

Look, Mehta is kind of a troll and a Jets fan boy, but I'll say this about him: he is a really great writer. His stuff is always fresh and funny with great analogies and metaphors. You might hate his opinions, but as a writer he one of the more talented sports columnists that I can recall.

 

[Simpelton]

I'm inclined to agree. Brady is already way off the deep end of the Bell curve. I can understand fans wanting and convincing themselves into thinking it will last forever but players and owners need to be smarter than that.

No matter how long he goes, at this point you take any athlete at that age year by year, no more than that. All opening his mouth like this does is set up Brady for embarrassment if something does go wrong if sometime in the next handful of seasons

 

[rochrist]

Closest I've seen in my life is probably Randy Johnson who managed a high level season (not up to his career standard but highly respectable) at 44YO.

As a pitcher. Who get's hit by 285 pound lineman exactly zero times in a season.

 

[Ivan]

As I've said more than once, the single data point of an injury against a defense that managed to knock more than half a dozen QBs out of games during the season neither proves nor disproves anything about Garoppolo.

Actually it proved that he couldn't make it through the 4 games he was asked to fill in for. And unlike the imaginary injury Brady's detractors are ascribing to him in the future it actually happened.

 

[Ivan]

As a pitcher. Who get's hit by 285 pound lineman exactly zero times in a season.

And as we have seen some quarterbacks don't withstand even the first big hit they take, and as an example take a Jimmy Garrapolo, who is only 25 and couldn't deal with it.

 

[Ivan]

I'm inclined to agree. Brady is already way off the deep end of the Bell curve. I can understand fans wanting and convincing themselves into thinking it will last forever but players and owners need to be smarter than that.

No matter how long he goes, at this point you take any athlete at that age year by year, no more than that. All opening his mouth like this does is set up Brady for embarrassment if something does go wrong if sometime in the next handful of seasons

Feel free to show us the evidence of Brady's deterioration?

Oh, that's right, you don't have any, you just like to sh.t on Brady and these threads give you that opportunity.

Keep on talking sh.t, I'll enjoy watching Brady make you eat it.

 

[bormio]

In his entire career Brady has been knocked out of a game like twice - and once he could have played (and today probably would have).

 

[zydecochris]

I'm inclined to agree. Brady is already way off the deep end of the Bell curve. I can understand fans wanting and convincing themselves into thinking it will last forever but players and owners need to be smarter than that.

No matter how long he goes, at this point you take any athlete at that age year by year, no more than that.

Other posters have pointed out that Brady is still playing better than ever, and even more remarkably has remained injury free, and they have theorized that Brady will stay at a top level for several more years. You have made the case (in a reasoned way, in my opinion) that it is really unknown how long Brady will stay at a top level, as he is already at the deep end of the bell curve.

The fact is nobody really knows. I have hopes that Brady stays at a top level for several more years. If he played well to 45, that would be FANTASTIC!! But, as you point out, there is a long history of athletes that have declined rapidly in their 40's, become injury prone, or lost their will to do what it takes to keep their body in shape (although I have trouble believing that would happen to Brady). There are no certainties in life.

I think it is clear that BB has has been preparing a backup plan (as he always does) in the event of a Brady decline / injury for years, otherwise he wouldn't have spent so much draft capital on QB's. I'm sure that year by year BB has been absolutely delighted that Brady has stayed at that top level, and remained injury free. I actually think he will keep Jimmy G. this year, I think that BB will want to have a top QB backup for his 40 year old quarterback in case of injury, if nothing else.

Nevertheless, as long as Brady maintains anything close to his current performance, I think he will remain the starter for the Patriots. I frankly can't imagine the Pats trading Brady, I think the fans would completely revolt (I certainly would).

Once Brady finally suffers a major injury or takes a big step back performance wise (and, being the perfectionist that he is, Brady will be the first to recognize that), I hope that he will go the Bruschi route, decide to retire with dignity and honor as a Patriot for life, and stay on with the team in some capacity. That is my dream, and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Ivan]

In his entire career Brady has been knocked out of a game like twice - and once he could have played (and today probably would have).

The hit Chancellor put on him would have ended Garrapolos season and Brady didn't miss a snap.

 

[Simpelton]

There doesn't need to be major signs of deterioration that a fan would notice to put the brakes on the 7 years hype. Every single year he keeps playing at a high level is a year he beats the odds --which is worth mentioning because of how important the odds are to general managers.

Not one franchise in this league is going to give a 40 year old a multi-year leash. Not one. Brady will spend each year proving he should get to play the next one. I suspect he knows that and has come to terms with it.

And if he thinks he can keep winning that battle for 7 years I wouldn't put it past him, but it's a bridge too far for my faith.

 

[Ivan]

There doesn't need to be major signs of deterioration that a fan would notice to put the brakes on the 7 years hype. Every single year he keeps playing at a high level is a year he beats the odds --which is worth mentioning because of how important the odds are to general managers.

Not one franchise in this league is going to give a 40 year old a multi-year leash. Not one. Brady will spend each year proving he should get to play the next one. I suspect he knows that and has come to terms with it.

And if he thinks he can keep winning that battle for 7 years I wouldn't put it past him, but it's a bridge too far for my faith.

In other words you have nothing.

 

[rochrist]

And as we have seen some quarterbacks don't withstand even the first big hit they take, and as an example take a Jimmy Garrapolo, who is only 25 and couldn't deal with it.

Yes, you're going to use the result of one play to predict a 10 year plus career. Sound science there.

 

[rochrist]

The hit Chancellor put on him would have ended Garrapolos season and Brady didn't miss a snap.

Assertion with zero evidence.