In the span of four years, the New England Patriots lost the greatest quarterback of all time and the greatest head coach of all time. They now also run risk of making the same mistakes twice over when it comes to replacing Hall of Fame talent at those respective spots.
When Tom Brady left the Patriots to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, the Patriots were left with the biggest possible hole to fill at the most important position on the field. There was no way that they could do that without a sizable drop-off, but they were presented with an option that simply did not exist before.