It’s been a nice and thrilling ride for the New England Patriots as they have won five Super Bowls and played in eight in 17 years, but all good things must come to an end.
And no, it’s not because of the Malcolm Butler drama that unfolded at the Super Bowl, but the era of watching Tom Brady and Bill Belichick winning championships together is finished.
It’s all over; put a fork in the whole dynasty thing because fans won’t see those two winning another Super Bowl together.
Maybe Tom Brady will finish his career somewhere else like Payton Manning did in Denver, but the party in New England is pretty much over. Maybe Belichick could win some more NFL trophies with New England, but it won’t be with Brady at the helm.
The Patriots have been one of the greatest dynasties in sports for almost two decades and are by far the best dynasty in NFL history, but that alone can’t carry them any longer.
They are both getting older (Brady is approaching 41 and Belichick 66) and the Patriots talent around them is getting weaker as injuries to Rob Gronkowski, who is contemplating retirement, and wide receiver Julian Edelman have proved.
Also, free agents could be lost such as offensive tackle Nate Solder, Danny Amendola, Dionne Lewis and for sure Butler who probably can’t get out of New England fast enough.
The Patriots defense was just shredded by a backup quarterback in Super Bowl LII and to make matters worse they are projected to have just $19.3 million in salary cap space for next season, which ranks them 24th in the league, well below the average.
The exit of backup quarterback Jimmy Garappolo to the San Francisco 49ers was the kicker in all this, as Belichick reportedly wanted to keep him to keep the dynasty going once Brady left the building. But Brady and owner Robert Kraft reportedly wanted him out creating a rift among the key components of the Patriots brass that is beyond repair.
Another issue that’s created an internal division among the Patriots power triangle is Brady’s trainer Alex Guerrero who has been banned from the Patriots installations by Belichick because the coach apparently felt the trainer was trying to get new players to train with him and promoting the TB 12 method, which has allegedly been credited with helping extend Brady’s career.
But most alarming perhaps it’s the departure of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia who left to coach the Detroit Lions. His replacement may be able to help Belichick take the squad back to Super Bowl, as the Patriots benefit from playing in the NFL’s weakest division, but they most likely won’t be winning another Lombardy trophy any time soon.
The NFL is full of young and very talented players that are getting better and more experienced by the year, while the Patriots are getting older. Football fans had better realize how special this ride was because they may not see in their lifetime another run like the one these Patriots had.
