The Tom Brady free agency saga is by far the biggest story in all of pro football this offseason. Will he return to the New England Patriots for a 21st season? Will he leave the team? Where will he go in case he does? The questions surrounding the greatest quarterback of all time and his first ever trip to unrestricted free agency appear to be endless, and the same can be said about the speculation currently making the rounds.
With early March being the time of disinformation in the NFL, and with the beginning of free agency still two weeks away, the rumor mill is working overtime. This means that there are only a few reliable sources to give insight into the minds of the main characters in the Brady-Patriots contract negotiations. One of them is the six-time world champion himself, even though his answers — as usual — tend to be somewhat vague.
Brady appearing on an Instagram live chat with UFC president Dana White served as further proof of that. White, who was born in Connecticut and is a Patriots fans, told the 42-year-old quarterback that he wants him to re-sign with the club that drafted him in the sixth-round back in 2000. In case Brady does decide to leave town, however, White pitched the recently relocated Las Vegas Raiders as a possible destination.
Brady did not bite, however. Instead, he gave a rather standard Brady answer — the usual mix of zen and little actual information. The main theme of what he told White, however, was patience.
“It’s been a lot of patience for me,” the future Hall of Famer said. “Obviously, being where I’ve been for 20 years, it’s been an amazing experience. I don’t know what the future holds. Right now, I’m just trying to be patient through this process. It’s my first time going through it. In the meantime, I’m going to spend a lot of time with my family over the next 10-12 days. We have a little vacation planned, which I’m looking forward to.”
Brady’s vacation does not disqualify him from still participating in any potential contract negotiations with the Patriots — even though a first call may or may not have gone well — but the timing adds some further intrigue to the situation. That being said, talks will continue and New England will try its best to retain the long-time face of the franchise. For now, however, patience appears to be on the menu for Brady.