Adam Schefter Indicates That Tom Brady's Decision Is Up To Him, Not The Patriots
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Last summer, Tom Brady wanted an extension from the Patriots. He wanted one the year before, too. He didn't get 'em. As a result, he's set to become a free agent in March.
And now, despite the Patriots' refusal to commit to Brady beyond age 42, the NFL's most plugged-in reporter is framing the quarterback's future as a decision by the player and not the team.
Speaking on "First Take" on Thursday, Schefter said that the Patriots will want to know Brady's decision prior to the start of free agency on March 18. The thinking, Schefter said, is that the Patriots want to avoid a situation like last year, when Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement later in March, after the team missed out on some free-agent tight ends.
Putting aside the fact that the Patriots could have signed a tight end even if Gronkowski didn't decide to retire, and putting aside the reality that Gronkowski flirted with retirement for more than a calendar year, Schefter's premise on Brady is rather interesting -- if true.
"I don't believe the New England Patriots are waiting until March 16 to get an answer from Tom Brady," Schefter said. "New England missed the window on free-agent tight ends [last year]. So I don't think that they're going to let Tom Brady go to free agency, all of a sudden sign with Team X, and then on March 20 say, 'Well what are we going to do at quarterback now?' That's not the way that that organization operates."
Certainly, Bill Belichick will have a plan.
But can the team really be waiting "to get an answer from Tom Brady" if the team has not even reached out with an offer?
Short of Brady standing outside Gillette Stadium holding a boombox blaring love tunes above his head, there's not a whole lot Brady can do to give the Patriots an "answer" before mid-March.
As far as anyone knows right now, the Patriots have not had any contract discussions with Brady since the season ended. The team is able to offer Brady a contract today, tomorrow, next Thursday or the day after that if they feel so inclined. That part of the equation rests entirely with Belichick and the Patriots.
Brady was asked specifically by Jim Gray during divisional weekend if he and the Patriots have been discussing a potential contract. Brady of course deflected.
"The contract things, I think a week after the season, I would say these things haven't even started to pick up. So, that's really not my concern at this point," Brady told Gray.
The subject of possibly playing for another team was broached. Brady only offered praise of his time with the Patriots.
"Well I think, like I said, I love playing football and I've loved playing for this organization," Brady said. "So, I really don't know what it looks like moving forward, and I'm just taking it day to day."
A week later, in his interview during championship weekend, not much changed with Brady.
"I'm open-minded about the process, and at the same time, I love playing football and I want to continue to play and do a great job," Brady said. "So I'm looking forward to what's ahead. Whatever the future may bring, I'll embrace it with open arms."
It's hard to glean too much from the public comments, as Brady is a master of saying as little as possible in order to avoid creating headlines and controversy and all sorts of additional, unwanted attention. Yet if he's being forthright, he doesn't exactly sound like somebody who's heard much of anything from Belichick or Robert Kraft since the Patriots' season ended earlier this month.
Despite that, Schefter on Thursday posed the question: "Do you think Tom can be persuaded to go back there [to New England]?"
At this point, as crazy as it may seem, it does not look as though a return to New England is even up to Brady -- at least not at this juncture. Schefter said the Patriots will want an "answer" from Brady, but it may end up being the team that's leaving Brady in the dark prior to mid-March, when some franchise-altering and life-altering decisions will need to be made by the Patriots' principals.
Read more from Michael Hurley by clicking here. You can email him or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.