New England Patriots Rumors: 3 reasons Bill Belichick doesn’t want Tom Brady
Tom Brady is declining
Offer any excuse you like. His receivers failed him. He missed Rob Gronkowski. His pass protection stunk. But the fact is that 2019 was Brady’s worst NFL season. He posted career worsts, or near worsts, in completion percentage, touchdowns, touchdown percentage, yards per attempt and quarterback rating.
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And Brady wasn’t just bad in comparison to his own lofty standards. His completion percentage ranked 27th, behind Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. His touchdown percentage ranked 24th. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston bested him in quarterback rating, where he finished 19th overall.
Frankly, it had to happen eventually. No TB12 voodoo keeps a 42-year-old quarterback from showing his age. Even Tom Brady was going to get old. We didn’t know exactly when it would happen. But we would be foolish to assume it would be anything but sooner than later.
Bill Belichick is no fool. He knew Brady’s decline was coming. It’s why he spent a 2nd round pick on Jimmy Garoppolo when Brady was “just” 37 years old.
It’s why he scooped up Jarrett Stidham in the 4th round last year. Belichick had Brady prepared to replace Drew Bledsoe. So too Matt Cassel, Brian Hoyer, Jacoby Brissett, Garoppolo and Stidham were prepared if something happened to Brady.
Indeed, if it’s Belichick’s preference to sever ties with a player too soon rather than too late, Brady may already have overstayed his welcome.