Tom Brady announces he will not return to Patriots

Tom Brady’s tenure with the New England Patriots has officially come to an end.

With the NFL free agency period underway, Brady issued a statement on Tuesday announcing that he will not be returning to the Patriots.

FOREVER A PATRIOT pic.twitter.com/QSBOJBs4uy

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) March 17, 2020

Brady’s market has not been as strong as initially believed, but his decision to leave the Patriots likely has less to do with that and more to do with the lack of appreciation the franchise showed for him. It’s possible that New England was unwilling to give Brady a multi-year deal, and a recent report indicated the Patriots were offering to pay him less than he got in 2019.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday that the Patriots and Brady were nowhere close to a contract, so it sounds like they didn’t get very far in negotiations. Brady likely would have had to take a significant pay cut to remain with New England, and it seems like Bill Belichick was simply ready to go in a different direction. While Brady is a six-time Super Bowl champion and one of the greatest players of all time, it would be unlike Belichick to commit multiple years to a player who will turn 43 before the start of the upcoming season.

Now, the question becomes where Brady will sign. He reportedly has a strong offer from at least one team, but he could wait to see how things play out now that teams know he is truly open for business.