🏈 Tom Brady Decides It’s Time

Brady and the Patriots have parted ways. His decision is yet another reminder that even in sports, nothing lasts forever. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider: “The Patriot Way” as we know it comes to an end as Tom Brady leaves New England ... breaking down the winners and losers as two big-name wide receivers get traded ... and a few suggestions on what to watch as sports programming becomes harder to find. Maybe we needed a reminder that nothing lasts forever. Not those empty shelves, not this bear stock market and not even, in sports, Tom Brady as a member of the New England Patriots. Professional football’s most prolific and enduring player-team marriage came to a close early on Tuesday, as Brady made it clear via a pair of heartfelt social media posts that his time with the franchise is ending. His next destination will emerge soon enough. FOXBet has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an overwhelming favorite to secure his services and FOX’s Colin Cowherd received information that Brady has already made his choice (and, [according to what Cowherd is hearing]( that very well could be Tampa Bay). [STORY IMAGE 1]( But before all the parsing and analysis and predictions of how it plays out, it is worth considering that the most stunning part of all this is the most obvious bit. That there will be someone other than Tom Brady taking snaps for the Patriots when the next NFL season starts. And that Brady, after all those years and all those rings in that familiar uniform, will be performing in other attire when he next takes to the field. Even after the situation played out to a point where Brady’s departing was no longer going to be a surprise, it still steadfastly qualifies as a shock. There are some things we become used to as sports fans, particular certainties that, whether we like them or not, proffer a sense of stability. Brady and the Patriots, winning and winning and winning some more, year after year, was a painful reality for fans of other teams, and excruciating for their divisional, historical and conference rivals. [STORY IMAGE 2] Yet it will still be weird now that it is no more. It is a separation that came about for a multitude of reasons of differing importance. It turned into reality despite all that success and, in a weird kind of way, because of it. For ESPN, Ian O’Connor wrote that the egos of Brady and Bill Belichick were at play. Everyone has their own ideas on who has been more responsible for the Patriots dynasty, and you can bet those two men do, too. “Deep down, Tom Brady needed to find out,” O’Connor wrote. “So did Bill Belichick. Together they had run out of opponents to conquer and mountains to climb. They had to break up to answer the only question left about the most successful partnership in NFL history. Who was more vital, the quarterback or the coach?” [STORY IMAGE 3] Over the past months and even previously, if we really looked, the signs were there. Brady’s most recent deal was one that would automatically void him into free agency, and simultaneously leave the Patriots with a weakened bargaining hand if they tried to keep him. “I know for some people this will come as some kind of shock,” [FS1’s Nick Wright said.]( “The reason why for seven months I’ve been beating the drum that Brady is leaving New England is that all the actual tangible available information we had, screamed he was leaving New England. “He went to them for a contract extension two offseasons ago. They wouldn’t give it to him. He went to them for a contract extension this past offseason. He had just won his sixth Super Bowl…and they would not give him an extension. Why anyone thought Bill Belichick would give him a deal after the worst year of his career arguably … never made any sense to me.” Well, now we know. Soon enough we will know where he goes next, and what that looks like. This is Brady, cultural icon and sports figurehead, so whatever takes place, it is going to get top billing and be fascinating theater. [STORY IMAGE 4] There is a lot to unpack. And in case you hadn’t noticed, there is some pretty crazy stuff going on in the world right now, so we are going to have plenty of time to unpack it. Is Brady going to stumble his way to the age-45 career finishing line that he has targeted, or are he and his new team going to be good enough to compete? And what of New England? Presumably neither Jarrett Stidham nor Cody Kessler are the long-term solution for all this, so who are the Patriots going to go after, either by trade or through free agency? The market is shifting rapidly, with Teddy Bridgewater reportedly on his way to the Carolina Panthers, and Philip Rivers perhaps Indianapolis-bound. Andy Dalton is out there, but after that, who? Maybe the Patriots go for the “wow” factor and make a big, splashy trade. Whatever happens though, the biggest “wow” of all has already taken place. Tom Brady is leaving New England. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Scott Gleeson, USA Today: “One of those possible QB options is backup Jarrett Stidham. ... In two NCAA seasons at Auburn, Stidham completed 63.6% of his passes for 5,952 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions as a starter. Prior to that, Stidham started his career with Baylor where he started three games as a true freshman in 2015. ... Coming out of high school the 6-3 signal caller was a highly-regarded dual-threat quarterback, having completed 183 of 260 passes for 2,934 yards with 35 touchdowns while also rushing for 969 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior at Stephenville High School in Texas.” Eric Wilbur, Boston.com: “Bill Belichick and the Patriots are going to get a lot of grief for letting Brady walk out the door, but this was ultimately a marriage that had come time for separation. Brady will be 43 years old by the time the fall rolls around, and there isn’t exactly a plan for the future already in place down at One Patriot Place. The Patriots were already the oldest team in the NFL last season, and wouldn’t be getting any younger by attaching themselves to their Hall of Fame quarterback for another two years and the likes of $60 million. Brady makes sense for someone else at that number. Not the Patriots. Sorry.” Ben Volin, Boston Globe: “There were cracks in the relationship the last few years, even as Brady and the Patriots continued to win. In a 2015 New York Times Magazine article, Brady’s father predicted that, ‘It will end badly . . . It’s a cold business. And for as much as you want it to be familial, it isn’t.’ ... Last year, while the Patriots were winning games but struggling on offense, Brady told NBC broadcaster Al Michaels that he was ‘the most miserable 8-0 quarterback in the NFL.’” [IN OTHER WORDS] - DeAndre Hopkins wins. Deshaun Watson ... not so much. [SB Nation’s Adam Stites evaluates]( the four winners and three losers from Monday’s blockbuster trade. - Hopkins wasn’t the only big-name wide receiver on the move on Monday. [At the Ringer, Riley McAtee considers]( whether Stefon Diggs can help unlock Bills QB Josh Allen. - [Tom Verducci at Sports Illustrated investigates]( how a shortened season could potentially have a drastic effect on MLB in 2020. [THE BRADY HUNCH] [THE BRADY HUNCH] If the thought of Tom Brady in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey confuses and frightens you, you might want to prepare yourself for tomorrow. [Our own Colin Cowherd said on his radio show]( on Tuesday that he’s hearing Brady will announce Wednesday that he’s taking his talents to Tampa Bay: “He had made a decision and talked to Tampa Bay yesterday. He was willing to re-sign with New England, but he watched Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins go to other franchises and then called Robert Kraft an hour and a half later and says, ‘I’m out.’ … I am told Tampa is the choice, and he will sign tomorrow... This is not a 'football source', it is a ‘Icon source', and somebody in Tom’s stratosphere that knows Tom, and who is a famous person. He says Tampa.” That aligns with the odds at FOX Bet, where the Bucs are currently -500 favorites to land Brady at the time of publication. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Tom Brady might not be the blazing hot free agency commodity some would have expected, but there’s undoubtedly quite a bit of interest in his services — and if none of his NFL options appeal to TB12, the Anaheim Ducks have a proposition for him. Hey, [if the NHL is good enough]( for a Zamboni driver, why not a future NFL Hall of Famer? [VIEWER'S GUIDE] The Great Brady Heist (FS1, 9 p.m. ET) This documentary chronicles the disappearance of Tom Brady’s jersey following the New England Patriots’ improbable Super Bowl LI comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons. Titus & Tate Episode 16 (FOX Sports YouTube) What should have been Selection Sunday has come and gone, and it’s starting to sink in: there will be no March Madness this year. [FOX Sports’ Titus & Tate react to life without the tournament.]( Michael Jordan’s Greatest Play From Every Postseason (NBA YouTube) From one GOAT to another, [settle in for some of His Airness’ ultimate plays]( in the biggest games. It’s a healthy combination of awesome dunks and ridiculous game winners that will likely send you down a YouTube rabbit hole. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( DeAndre Hopkins 1500+ Receiving Yards: +300 As formidable a duo as Hopkins and Deshaun Watson were, a partnership with Kyler Murray in the desert could be just as fruitful — especially if the Cardinals are able to shore up their offensive line in the draft and free agency. And, for what it’s worth, Hopkins has gone over 1,500 receiving yards twice in his career already. If you’re especially bullish on his prospects in Arizona, you can also get 6-to-1 on Hopkins hauling in 15+ receiving TDs. A new FOX Sports app and website is coming. 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