New England Patriots fans were sent into a collective panic on Thursday morning over numerous reports that Brady is not expecting to return to the team, but it is highly unlikely any decisions have been made or are close to being made.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington said on “Get Up!” Thursday morning that he would be “stunned” if Brady re-signed with the Patriots, noting that the quarterback has told people close to him that he plans to go somewhere else. However, Darlington later issued a more extensive report and noted that there is “a belief in (Brady’s) circles that the Patriots will have their opportunity to convince Brady to stay.”
Brady is reportedly operating under the assumption that he won’t be back in New England in 2020, but a lot of the talk sounds like posturing from Brady’s camp.
There were numerous reports about Brady’s future on Thursday morning that all surfaced around the same time. They all basically said the same thing — that Brady and the Patriots have gotten nowhere in contract talks and are on the verge of a divorce. The timing of the reports and fact that they were so widespread made it seem like they came directly from Brady’s camp, and it’s certainly possible that it is a negotiating ploy.
For what it’s worth, there are still prominent NFL insiders who are not buying that Brady will sign with a team other than the Patriots. Brady has yet to sit down with Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft to discuss a new contract, and perhaps he is frustrated that those talks have not taken place. However, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe was told Belichick sees no point in negotiating a new deal until there is more clarity on the new collective bargaining agreement.
For what it’s worth, one thing I heard this week was that Belichick doesn’t see much sense in talking to Brady about a possible deal until he knows what the CBA situation will be
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) February 27, 2020
We’ve already explained how the CBA could impact the contract talks between Brady and the Patriots, so that could certainly be a factor. If so, Brady may be getting impatient and trying to turn up the heat on New England.
