In my own opinion, based on what I've seen, heard him say, etc. I wonder if he's genuinely bothered by however the contract negotiations went or by something that was said during that span. Looking back, it sort of makes sense because there was seemingly a sudden break where everything just stopped and all of a sudden, we heard about the no franchise tag, his house going up for sale, etc. The whole demeanor and things that he's said make me feel like he's less angry and more hurt, especially since he's not the type of guy to be negative or say anything derogatory.
I honestly don't think he wants to leave/stop playing, but it seems like there's something there that made him suddenly question things a little more, which leads us to where we are now. I also believe the whole thing with AB/Josh Gordon was mentally draining...he invested a lot of emotional energy into both guys and ended up with nothing to show for it and he's essentially paying for it now. The team went from a pretty deep receiving core in the preseason to now being at this point in the year with two rookies, Edelman, Dorsett and Sanu. Brady's a good guy and he takes that stuff seriously. He tried so hard with both of those guys and invested so much, so I'm sure that's really, really disappointing, both emotionally and how it's hurt him on the field.
It's been a rough year. Watson, as I said in another thread, has been disappointing, the offensive line has been a mess all year because of injuries up until recently, but they still haven't been able to be consistent, etc. That, along with his elbow, I think has just made this year a grind for him. I'm sure in some way he feels some pressure if he quietly really has decided he doesn't want to be here after this year. Comparing to past years, he's not playing as loosely as he has (he seems a little tighter) and since he got hit on the elbow, that hasn't helped with some of the throws we've seen. Given that if he's really going to walk away, I'm sure he wants it to be on his terms and at a high level but I think overall he really wants to stay.
Now the only problem is, barring a flawless playoff run, I expect this offseason to be a little ugly. But deep down, I think Brady never wanted it to get to this point. All we can do now is hopefully enjoy one more run. I'm sure most people here would be O.K. seeing him move on with a ring and if that happens, winning it as a Wild Card would be another stamp on an unbelievable career.
I don't know...it's been a really strange year. But I'd be willing to bet Brady doesn't want to leave and would prefer things get worked out. Whether or not they do will likely be what we're all talking about but - hopefully - not for at least another month.
