Tom Bradyand the New England Patriots (10-2) have all eyes on them this week as they host the Kansas Chiefs (8-4) in Foxborough. Looking to advance to 11-2, the current first place team in the AFC East faces a tough opponent in Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs teammates.
But that’s the surface story. What lies beneath is something sinister in thought to most, if not all, Patriots fans. Are Brady’s days with the New England Patriots numbered?
The 42-year old quarterback has not had his most impressive season, as the Patriots offense has struggled and, for the most part, relied on a very solid defense. But his arm strength seems to be the same as it’s always been and his football IQ can not be matched. So, why would he leave?
Brady becomes an unrestricted free agent come early March when his contract ends. Throughout the years, Brady has taken pay cut after pay cut as his desire to win has trumped his own selfish gains. However, as the star quarterback seeks to play until he’s 45, one must wonder if the Belichick-Brady era is coming to an end. For the first time since 2000, Brady will have no owner, no boss, and no team.
The team has had every opportunity to give him an extension to last him until he’s 45, and owner Robert Kraft would love nothing more than to see Brady retire as a Patriot. But with this deadline approaching, Brady and agent Don Yee must hit the drawing board and request a serious sit-down with the powerhouse duo of Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick.
The issue now is how to allocate funds effectively in order to rebuild and maintain a great team whether or not Brady retires a Patriot. As quarterbacks around the league are seeing huge contract numbers, history shows that Brady should have the highest by far (had a deal been made much earlier than present day). Kraft now faces the issues of paying the almost 43-year old close to 18-20 percent of the cap to keep him in New England.
This will clearly take time to resolve, but for right now, Brady’s mind is on the Chiefs and buttoning up his offense as they strive to 11-2. New England is favored to win as they host the Chiefs December 8 on CBS.
