Patriots Rumors: What could spark a Tom Brady return

The New England Patriots unceremoniously dumped their and the NFL’s best player ever, Tom Brady, by allowing him to walk after the 2019 NFL season.

Actually, the deed was done prior to the 2019 season when the team unadvisedly and inexplicably OK’d a contract with TB12 without a franchise clause.

See ‘ya! Brady was gone right then and there and his surly attitude during the 2019 season was merely an expression of his feeling about things. The season was a disappointing formality and ended with a thud with a one-and-done loss to the Tennessee Titans, his last hurrah in Foxborough. Or was it?

Could a reunion of the team’s best-ever player and the franchise he should have played every single down of his NFL career for be possible? It is quite unlikely for reasons we’ll explore but wouldn’t it be grand for Patriot Nation to be back-in lockstep with their greatest gridiron hero ever?

Let’s explore the possibilities.

The New England Patriots threw Tom Brady out

The topic has been covered ad infinitum in the sports press about who owns responsibility for TB12 severing ties with the team. The responsibility for that lies squarely on the shoulders of two people, owner Robert Kraft, first and foremost, and also his football majordomo, Bill Belichick.

Why a reunion is unlikely to happen is that all three major participants are strong-willed and determined individuals, none of who is very fond of admitting mistakes.

It’s Mr. Robert Kraft’s team and if he didn’t want to allow Brady to leave, he wouldn’t have. Yet, Bob Kraft would probably be willing to rectify that, his worst mistake as the Patriots’ owner, and try to get Brady back. He knows he made a strategic error and fixing it is all good. It’s good business, good public relations, and good for Patriots football.

The co-party in all this of course is Belichick. He’s one strong-willed individual and admitting to a huge mistake is not likely for BB. After all, he almost certainly thinks he is more responsible for the team’s great success for two decades than Brady was. Would Kraft overrule Belichick if push came to shove on this? It seems unlikely, but one just never knows.

Might the New England Patriots be able to get TB12 back

Assuming for the moment both owner and coach were amenable to a reunion, what about Brady? The hard feelings were certainly major. No doubt about that. He was treated with disrespect even after years of subordinating his own interests to those of the team.

Yet, time has a calming effect and can be a great healer. Hard to believe it’s been three seasons since Brady left, just like that. Were the two New England management heavyweights to make an overture to Brady for a reunion and give him a lot of say in what transpires, might he consider it?

First, things have seemed to sour a bit in Tampa Bay. Rather than be a quarterback for hire, Brady might feel that reconciliation and a reunion in Foxborough for him and the Patriots would bring his career to a fitting close, as it should, whenever he decides.

Second, the team could roll out the red carpet for Brady which they should have done years ago, including giving Brady the salary he wants. He’s still playing at a high level. (In this space’s opinion, he can play for years more.)

Why not give him a say in the play-calling, or, even better, make him the de facto Offensive Coordinator? It’s not like they have one now. That would be a huge statement of intent, and commitment.

Third, a fabulous enticement would be to grant Brady the ability to recall his retired Super Bowl-winning compatriots, especially Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, and Danny Amendola. That would be getting the old band back together for a victory tour or three, indeed.

Again, will this happen? It’s unlikely mostly because of Bill Belichick’s aversion to admitting to mistakes, especially one as monstrous as this one was. But if he did, and as suspected it had Kraft’s complete buy-in, then perhaps it might actually be possible.

The other more draconian option would be for Kraft to approach Brady individually, and tell him he wants him back, and he will get whatever it takes to make it happen. If Kraft were willing to offer that olive branch, whether or not Belichick were to buy in no matter the ramifications, then yes, it just may be doable then, as well.

Realistically, it won’t happen. It would clearly take a miracle. But disaffected Patriots fans who never countenanced Brady’s being maltreated and allowed to leave in the first place can hope, can’t WE? And wouldn’t it be grand if it actually occurred?