'The Future Is The Future': Bill Belichick Not Yet Ready To Examine Tom Brady's Status With Patriots
FOXBORO (CBS) – Just hours after the Patriots season came to a close with a disappointing playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans, head coach Bill Belichick wasn't yet ready to discuss the future of franchise quarterback Tom Brady.
Brady's future with the team is very much up in the air, as his contract voids at the end of the league year, making him a free agent.
"I'm sure there's a lot of questions about the future. Nobody's thought about the future," Belichick said on Sunday. "Everybody's been focused and working on Miami, and then Tennessee. That's where all the focus should have been and where it was. Whatever's in the future we'll deal at some later point in time. We're certainly not going to deal with it now."
When asked specifically about Brady's status, Belichick acknowledge that the quarterback position is one he will have to address this offseason. But he added that Brady isn't the only one.
"I know it's out there, just like there's a lot of other things out there. We could bring up 50 questions just like that one," he said.
Later, when asked again, Belichick admitted that Brady's status is a bit different compared to other free agents.
"Everybody's situation on the team is different. There are no two that are exactly the same. The future is the future for all of them, just like it is for Tom and anyone else you want to bring up. Certainly Tom is an iconic figure in this organization. Nobody respects Tom more than I do. I respect all the other players and all the other coaches in this organization too," Belichick said.
"So I think anybody that is part of it is an important part of it," added Belichick. "I want to give the proper attention, communication and detail and thought into my input into those decisions. Any decision that's made, it's not an individual decision. There are other people involved. There has to be some type of communication, understanding, agreement, whatever you want to call it. It's not a one-way street."
Following Saturday night's loss, Brady said it is unlikely that he would retire.
"It's the greatest organization and playing for Mr. Kraft and for Coach Belichick all these years, there is nobody who has had a better career than me, just being with them," he said. "I've loved playing for this team for two decades and winning a lot of games. Again, I just don't know what it looks like moving forward. I'll just take it day by day."