With some time having passed since the two-part decision by Tom Brady to(1) leave the Patriots, and (2) join the Buccaneers, I thought I would share my perspective looking back. I completely expected the first decision and was completely surprised by the second. Let’s examine.
Goodbye, New England
As I commented at the time, Brady’s renegotiation of his Patriots contract a year ago framed what was to come. Along with his usual cap deferral (Brady now counts $13.5 million on the Patriots cap while no longer there), Brady strategically negotiated an end to the contract after last season, making him a free agent for the first time in his two-decade career.