New England Patriots: Wrong to root for a Tom Brady send off?

New England Patriots QB Tom Brady will play beyond this season, but would it be wrong to root for a proper send-off in Super Bowl LIII anyway?

Over the weekend, Tom Brady told Jeff Darlington that there was “zero chance” he would stop playing football after the New England Patriots play in Super Bowl LIII.

For the latter part of his career, Brady has always said he wanted to play into his mid-40s, so this was not much of a change from previous stories. However, given that it’s Super Bowl Week, the added hype led to such discussion.

Even though Brady said Saturday that he’d play next year, is it wrong to root for a retirement party in Atlanta on Sunday?

My answer? Yes and no.

Tom Brady is already the GOAT in the minds of many New Englanders, so another Super Bowl win would be extra gravy to his legacy.

But a loss? That could change some people’s minds, as going 5-4 in Super Bowls appears average, even though it is still extraordinary.

Further, should the Patriots in fact win on Sunday, it would provide a great way for Brady to conclude his career, just as both Peyton Manning, Ray Lewis, and Jerome Bettis did in recent history. So in that respect, it wouldn’t be wrong to root for No.12 to go out on top.

But let’s be real, in addition to being unlikely, it would also suck. Tom Brady has arguably played better since the age of 35 than he did from ages 30-35. He’s also been one of two significant reasons why the Patriots have dominated this millennium to date.

Not being able to watch him play football every week in the fall would be strange so postponing that until as late as possible seems valid to me.

Brady’s crusade against Father Time is also another reason why it wouldn’t feel right to wish him goodbye. Like I said before, his effort to play to age 45 or so is the primary reason why I believe he told Jeff Darlington there was zero chance he would retire.

Leaving the league before then would contradict not only what he’s continued to say, but also the premise his book, his documentary, and his sustainable competitive advantage on the remaining all-time greats.

So while it is a fun topic to discuss, it’s unlikely to happen. Eventually, this question will become legitimate, so we might as well start developing our thoughts now.