Don’t sleep on the New England Patriots as a possible suitor for Tom Brady in free agency, per former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum.
The ex-longtime New York Jets executive knows the New England Patriots and Brady well after competing against them for nearly two decades in the AFC East. So his thoughts on where Brady lands after this season carries a lot of weight.
He narrowed it down to two teams: the San Francisco 49ers and Patriots.
“I’ll give you two of them: New England Patriots, go back home, and the San Francisco 49ers,” said Tannenbaum, during an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up. “[The Patriots] just invested another first rounder in their offensive line. That offensive line is not bad, and they have better skill players than people realize. That may be a marriage of convenience.”
There have been breadcrumbs that lead back to New England for Brady.
The legendary quarterback admitted he still watches all of the team’s games, and things haven’t exactly gone well for the Patriots since he left. Bill Belichick hasn’t won a playoff game since Brady was under center.
In fact, his last playoff appearance ended in an embarrassing 47-17 loss to the division rival Buffalo Bills. Throw in the possibility that the team might miss the postseason entirely this year, and it could open the door for at least serious talks of a reunion with Brady.
However, it’s still a long-shot possibility.
Mac Jones proved he can play at a Pro Bowl level when he has a legitimate offensive staff behind him, and the Patriots might be better off building the team around their first-round draft pick instead of moving mountains for a blast from the past.
But then again, it would be tough passing on an opportunity to reunite the greatest quarterback and coach in NFL history.
