According to sources cited in a Wednesday news report, the New England Patriots haven’t ruled out the possibility that Tom Brady retires after this season.
Perhaps one of the reasons that Tom Brady’s contract extension talks have reportedly been quiet lately might have something to do with the line of thinking for the New England Patriots as an organization. According to sources cited by Greg A. Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal, the Patriots are rumored to be preparing for the real possibility that Brady could decide to retire after the 2019/2020 season ends.
His current contract has just one more year left on it, and the thinking is that after another full season of the wear and tear associated with playing quarterback in the NFL, Brady might decide six Super Bowl championships and 20 years are enough for him.
Granted, Brady has repeatedly declared that he wants to keep playing into his mid-40s, and he’ll still be just 42 when this new season starts in September. Moreover, many believe that the future Hall of Famer is now aiming at winning a seventh Super Bowl championship so he could break a tie between the Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Lombardi Trophies in NFL history.
"“The team, sources told BSJ, has not ruled out the possibility that Brady could retire after this season, especially if he wins another Super Bowl,” wrote Bedard. “That would give him four in his final six seasons and would trump the three he won his first four seasons as a starter. Seven total Super Bowl titles would break the franchise tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, leave Brady two titles clear of any other player, and would represent a largely unbreakable record.”"
While no record is unbreakable, it is certainly difficult to fathom any player being able to break Brady’s current record of six Super Bowl championships – let alone trying for seven. The next closest active player in the NFL in terms of Super Bowl wins is former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri, who earned three with New England and one with Indianapolis.
While there’s theoretically a chance that Vinatieri could earn another ring or two before he retires, it’s highly unlikely. Vinatieri is five years older than Brady, and at 46 has already flirted openly with retiring the last couple seasons before ultimately deciding to return.
Whether or not the Patriots actually think this coming season will be Brady’s last, it’s probably not a bad idea to think about drafting his replacement and starting to concoct a succession plan if they haven’t already. Even though Brady will probably get his contract extension sometime in August before the season officially starts, New England needs to turn an eye to the future and start grooming his replacement sooner rather than later.