Tom Brady sent the NFL world into a frenzy on Thursday night by posting a cryptic photo on social media, but apparently it was not a sign that he is planning to leave the New England Patriots.
The photo showed Brady walking out of the tunnel inside a stadium, presumably Gillette Stadium. His back is turned to the camera and the photo is in black and white, which gave it a somewhat ominous feel. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Brady did not intend for the photo to be a message about his playing future.
Am told that this tweet is not related to Tom Brady’s football future. Repeat, not related to his football future. But the speculation sure is fun. https://t.co/DmUcn5vCvK
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 31, 2020
Brady is a smart guy, so he had to have known the photo would create some buzz — especially since he did not include a caption. Some have speculated that the photo was a tribute to Kobe Bryant, who once shared a similar photo after his retirement from the NBA.
I think Tom Brady’s picture at Gillette is a Kobe Bryant tribute#Patriots #TomBrady pic.twitter.com/VivMzdgXQV
— Josh (@___Joshua_____) January 31, 2020
If Brady was paying tribute to Kobe, it’s unclear why he would feel the need to be so secretive about it.
Schefter, who always seems to have great sources in New England, previously reported that the Patriots want to know if Brady plans to stick around before he meets with other teams in free agency. That means the two sides could decide in the very near future if they are going to part ways, but it does not appear they have made any big decisions like that yet.
The photo Brady posted came on the same day a rumor spread that the quarterback was checking schools in Nashville with his son, though that rumor was said to be false.
The Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers are among the teams that have been most often connected to Brady as a potential landing spot. Another team was added to the mix on Thursday.
