Several league sources have confirmed that quarterback Tom Brady has not committed to coming back to the New England Patriots and playing in 2018.
The latest reports indicate that the Patriots are still waiting for official word from Brady about his future. Also, there’s been no official word from anyone close to the team saying that Brady will be back for next season as he has not officially committed to playing.
People from inside the Patriots organization told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that they think that Brady will be back, but don’t know for sure as they haven’t heard from him yet.
The uncertainty lingers as the NFL draft approaches and the Patriots are considering picking a quarterback this year after trading Jimmy Garoppolo, Brady’s heir apparent and potential successor, to the 49ers in October.
Although Brady told the media after Super Bowl LII that he would be back in 2018, many things have unfolded since that may be pushing Brady to consider retirement.
Perhaps the most pressing point is that there has been no official word on progress being made in the negotiations of Brady’s new contract despite the fact that owner Robert Kraft recently said that neither side has an issue with it.
Despite that, Brady has allegedly told several people from the Patriots organization that he would like to have his new deal done before the start of next season. If that is true, then it’s no surprise that he has not shown up at the Patriots offseason workout program and failed to commit to the team for 2018.
Also, another factor is that after losing to the Eagles, Pats tight end Rob Gronkowski said that he would have to look at his future for at least a couple of weeks before deciding whether he comes back in 2018 or not. So far, he still hasn’t officially announced his decision.
Several sources close to the team have allegedly said that Gronkowski is also pressing for a new contract and that he will announce his decision as soon as a new deal is finalized.
The loss to the Eagles apparently also further strained the relationship between Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. The tension between the two apparently started because Brady allegedly lobbied Kraft on trading Garoppolo and Belichick didn’t approve with the decision.
Belichick responded by banning Brady’s personal trainer, Alex Guerrero, from the team premises and that did not sit well with the signal caller at all. The ban was in effect after Guerrero and some of the team trainers were at odds on treatment methods for several players.
Brady may also be disappointed by the way the team allowed several key players to walk away during free agency, such as tackle Nate Solder, running back Dion Lewis, cornerback Malcolm Butler and wide receivers Danny Amendola and Brandin Cooks.
