Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald reports that Patriots HC Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady spoke over the phone on Tuesday for the first time regarding Brady’s impending free agency.
According to Guregian’s source, “it didn’t go well.”
- Tom Curran of NBC Boston confirms that the conversation between Brady and Belichick “was particularly productive.” Sources tell Curran that Belichick “was all business” and it’s not known if they discussed money, length of a potential deal or any contract details. According to Curran, Belichick spoke as if Brady was “still under contract.”
- Adam Schefter also confirms that Belichick and Brady spoke recently but the call did not take place on Tuesday. Schefter says the tone of their discussion was “business as usual.”
Numerous reports have said Brady is expected to have a strong market this offseason with the Raiders, Titans, Chargers, Buccaneers and 49ers possibly among the teams to watch.
Earlier in the day, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reported that of the eight teams monitoring Brady ahead of free agency, he believes four of them would sign Brady right now if he was available.
“I have spoken to executives with eight different teams that are at the very least monitoring Tom Brady’s free agency,” Darlington said, as aired on ESPN. “They are going down this list having internal discussions right now saying, ‘Is this the right fit for our organization?'”
Darlington noted that Brady’s interest in those teams is still unclear, and that the eight teams have “varying” interest levels.
Darlington previously reported Brady is currently operating under the belief that he will not be back with the Patriots in 2020.
Brady, 42, is a former sixth-round pick of the Patriots back in 2000. He was in the final year of his two-year, $41 million contract when he agreed to a two-year extension a few weeks ago.
Brady made $23 million for the 2019 season and is in line to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
In 2019, Brady appeared in all 16 games for the Patriots and threw for 4,057 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 34 yards and three touchdowns.
We have Brady featured in our Top 100 – 2020 Free Agents list.
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All this drama the media just relishes stirring up on a second by second basis. Give it a break already. Tom Brady is going to play for 1 or 2 teams and those are the New England Patriots or the San Francisco 49ers. PERIOD! And NE owner Bob Kraft will definitely have the final say in the end as well.
The 49ers make sense for Brady on various levels as follows:
1. The 49ers are a Super Bowl ready team.
2. Jimmy Grappolo can be parted with and save the 49ers around $24M in cap space for 2020.
3. The 49ers then sign Brady. The Pat’s bring an NFL seasoned Grappolo back to NE. Then the 49ers can draft a QB in 2020 to learn under Brady and Shanahan.
4. Brady and his parents are from the Bay area. And Brady’s mother has health issues and being closer to her is in Brady’s best interests.
5. Lastly. Brady’s childhood idol was Joe Montana. What better way to end a storybook career? Then to play for your sports idol and have a chance to win another ring or two.