2. This is just 100% fact, so many times its been reported and mentioned by Brady himself.
BB said it in press conference and told Brady directly, was in the Boston papers and in an interview with Brady when he left for Tampa
Coach Belichick referenced my age to me, referenced it to media. In my mind, I was thinking, 'What are you talking about?'" In "Man in the Arena," Tom Brady shares how he really felt about the Patriots drafting Jimmy Garoppolo
- In response to BB talking about Brady's age: Brady expressed that he was taken aback, recalling, "In my mind, I was thinking, 'What are you talking about?'".
- Belichick argued it was better to be "early than late" in addressing the quarterback position, noting that relying on a 37-year-old quarterback was not a sustainable long-term strategy, the Boston Herald reported.
Patriots were reported to have offered Jimmy G a 4 year deal with an escalator if he started instead of Brady during the contract. Jimmy G was the successor in BB's mind. I don't believe he was trading Brady that year but he would do it soon and if 49ers offered a ton of picks I think BB might have been swayed in the off season. You have to remember Jimmy G was traded IN SEASON, of course he wasn't trading Brady in season but was expecting Brady to decline in the short term and Jimmy G to take over and he'd have to trade Brady at some point to make that happen. Nobody is arguing what happened in season, doesn't mean if Jimmy G stayed that BB wasn't going to trade Brady in the off season. Perhaps that came up in discussion and is what Lynch won't talk about.