Tom Brady’s age influenced Adam Humphries’ FA decision
Adam Humphries said that Tom Brady’s age definitely played a factor in his decision to sign with the Titans over the Patriots in free agency.
Adam Humphries, one of the newest members of the Tennessee Titans, was one of a handful of highly-coveted slot receivers around the NFL linked to the New England Patriots in free agency. And yet, just like Cole Beasley and Golden Tate, Humphries ended up signing elsewhere and forgoing the chance to play with the Super Bowl champions.
Why?
Apparently, according to Humphries himself, Brady’s advanced age (by NFL standards) gave him pause about committing to the Pats long-term.
“It was a four-year deal,” Humphries told The Athletic’s Travis Haney. “Who knows how many (years) he’s got left? There’s a lot that goes into it. Obviously the chance to play with him would have been awesome, but a lot of things factor into that decision.”
The 25-year-old wide receiver, who played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his first four seasons in the NFL, elected instead to join the Tennessee Titans. In Humphries’ estimation, the Titans are a better fit for the long-term, as opposed to the here-and-now… which, as most football observers would probably agree, clearly belongs to the Patriots.
"“Ultimately, I thought this was coming here to a team that was on the rise and with young talent on the offense and a really good defense. They’d had a taste of the playoffs. I felt like my need at the slot position was great. I felt like I could really contribute and start something new here. I felt like my talents would be used best here. And New England was the same way. That would have worked, too, but at the end of the day, it was a good decision to come here.”"
Next. Martellus Bennett comes down hard on domestic violence. dark
If there’s any silver lining or saving grace to Humphries signing with another team besides New England, it’s that he at least was gracious and wise enough to admit that Brady is the greatest of all time.
“Obviously, he’s the G.O.A.T. That’s that simple,” Humphries acknowledged.
Pats fans undoubtedly would have preferred Humphries’ service on the football field over his lip service to TB12 off it, but at least the young wideout’s not crazy enough to suggest Marcus Mariota is a superior quarterback to Tom Brady.