Tom Brady told the world Tuesday that he won't be back with the New England Patriots in 2020, and while the six-time Super Bowl champion had nothing but kind words for the Pats upon departing, it's apparent money may have played a part in his decision.
According to NBC Sports Boston's Tom Curran, the Patriots simply "never" made a "tangible effort" to keep Brady in New England, allowing the quarterback to "say what he wanted" during the NFL's legal tampering period rather than initiate contract negotiations on their own. Ultimately, per reports, Brady met with Patriots owner Robert Kraft on Monday night and had a "positive, respectful" but "very sad" conversation. During that conversation, the Pats apparently "gave Tom a number," according to the Boston Globe's Ben Volin, and Brady simply "didn't want" that number -- so much so that he's since opted to publicly move on.
Curran and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero have reported that Brady's decision on a new team isn't likely to come Tuesday while the QB weighs interest from around the league. But one thing he appears likely to get is a contract bigger than whatever New England was offering. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers have extended offers to Brady that are believed to include average annual salaries of at least $30 million.
Brady, 42, has consistently taken under-market deals to remain in New England over the course of his 20-year career. A $30 million annual salary, however, would make him one of the top 10 highest-paid QBs in the NFL.
The Las Vegas Raiders were previously reported to have interest in Brady as well, especially at a $30 million per-year deal, but they have since reportedly landed former Tennessee Titans starter Marcus Mariota, who figures to compete with Derek Carr in 2020.
