Fourteen Pro Bowl selections, second in all-time passing touchdowns, second in all-time passing yards, three-time regular season MVP, four-time Super Bowl MVP, first all-time in wins, six-time Super Bowl champion, 541 touchdowns, 74,571 passing yards, 1,037 rushing yards, one team… until now.
Tom Brady has officially announced he will be continuing his football career, while no longer calling Gillette Stadium home (*single tear rolls down our faces*). As Patriots fans, to call ourselves lucky would be a catastrophic understatement. While Tom Brady has earned every right to choose the path he continues to walk down, the shock and anguish will still run through New England.
I hesitate to admit to those of you who read my articles that I was born in 1997. I only say this because I, and many other New Englanders who were born in that time frame have lived their entire conscious lives with Tom Brady as our quarterback. We’ve lived our entire lives with the understanding that there was a near guarantee we would be in the playoffs with a legitimate chance at a Super Bowl title. We also have lived under the assumption (now misconception) that Tom Brady would retire with the team that brought him into this league.
In the era of free agency, the “franchise player” has begun to rapidly disappear; the player who not only spends the entirety of their career in one city, but who also leaves a lasting legendary impact. Larry Bird with the Celtics, Carl Yastrzemski with the Red Sox, Terry O’Reilly with the Bruins. Brady had an opportunity to be the first Patriot legend to spend their entire season in New England. That opportunity has passed.
As Patriots fans, we’ve always wanted to deny the inevitable, that one day Tom Brady would depart, and the era would come to a close. I suppose we wouldn’t have been ready even if we knew when it would happen regardless. However, it would appear that Tommy Touchdowns is headed to Tampa Bay where he will likely finish out his Hall of Fame career (unless something absurd happens).

Thank you, Tom, for all that you’ve done with and for New England. See you in Canton.

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