On Tuesday, the New England Patriots‘ long time franchise quarterback, Tom Brady, announced that he is parting ways with the organization during his first-ever free agency.
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After winning six Super Bowls and playing 20 seasons for the Patriots, Brady announced in a two-part social media post that he will be leaving New England during free agency at the age of 42.
In the first half of the future Hall of Famer’s post, he wrote that his “football journey will take place elsewhere.” He proceeded to talk about what he has learned over the past 20 years as a Patriot, the relationships he has created, and how the organization has become a standard in pro sports. In his second post, Brady thanked the Patriot fanbase for all of their support over the years. Both of these tweets were retweeted by the official New England account to make an official statement.
This is the end of an era for possibly the greatest quarterback to play the game of football. Brady’s resume can not be matched. The 20-year-veteran went from a sixth-round draft pick from the University of Michigan who took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe in 2001, to a Super Bowl MVP at the end of that season. The quarterback is also a three-time MVP, a four-time Super Bowl MVP, a 14-time Pro Bowler, and he ranks second to Drew Brees in all-time passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that despite Brady’s statement, the quarterback “has not made a decision on where he will play next season and he will be exploring his options.” These options consist of “a strong offer” from Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Brady worth $30 million per season “or more,” according to the NFL Network. The Los Angeles Chargers have made a similar offer.
