Brady gone; fans turn to Belichick for answers

Bill Belichick is on the clock. The worst March in the history of the modern world took another giant leap backwards Tuesday morning when Tom Brady said goodbye to New England via his Instagram account. The words, while appearing sincere and honest, struck like a hot knife through the already beaten-down, self-quarantined hearts of Brady fans everywhere.

“The support has been overwhelming — I wish every player could experience it,” Brady wrote. “My children were born and raised here and you always embraced this California kid as your own. I love your commitment and loyalty to your teams and winning for our city means more than you will ever know.”

So, in a snap, Brady is no more. The greatest player in Patriots history, the greatest winner in NFL history, is leaving Foxboro.

There will be no more entrances to Jay Z, no more screaming `Let’s Go!’ in the faces of stunned teammates, no more Tom and Gisele celebrity sightings. There initially was no word on where Brady is headed (Tampa? Really?) but that news could drop as soon as Wednesday.

What needs to be asked is how was this allowed to pass? The answers lie in the hands of only one man: Bill Belichick.

Don’t listen to any Patriots spin that the team “made Tom a generous offer” or “we wanted Tom to retire a Patriot.” Don’t buy it. Ever since Brady was stiffed at the contract table the last few years, he’s had reason to carry a burr in his saddle over Belichick’s heavy-handed ways.

Coming off an MVP season in 2017, the Patriots wrote $5 million in incentives into Brady’s deal. Some thank you. Before last season Belichick offered a one-year deal. Brady basically said sure, but you can’t franchise me in the spring of 2020. The Patriots signed off and that made Brady a free agent. Now he’s bolting.

“I had hoped this day would never come, but rather that Tom would end his remarkable career in a Patriots uniform after yet another Super Bowl championship,” owner Bob Kraft said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the two sides were unable to reach an agreement to allow that dream to become a reality. While sad today, the overwhelming feeling I have is appreciation for his countless contributions to our team and community.”

It’s not even clear that the Patriots made Brady a tangible new offer, and you can be sure Belichick would rather snort in fans’ faces than tell the truth on that one. Belichick has made the football decision to move on from a 42-year-old quarterback who is coming off his worst season in more than a decade. On the surface, that makes plenty of sense.

The coach/GM usually manages his salary cap well and apparently has seen enough. Not feeling the love, Brady turned, tossed an elbow bump at his coach for the last 20 years and said goodbye.

What will Belichick do instead? The only option on the roster is Jarrett Stidham, a fourth-round draft pick out of Auburn who as a rookie last year looked good in meaningless summer drills and was a flop in the only game where he threw more than one pass.

It’s hard to believe that Stidham will be anointed the Patriots’ starting QB, so look for a move in the free-agent market. For too long now, fans have muttered `In Bill We Trust’ when winners like Richard Seymour, Deion Branch, Ty Law and Malcolm Butler left Foxboro to chase their dreams elsewhere.

But this is different. This is Tom Brady, the six-time Super Bowl winner, the New England icon, the classy QB who’s adored by every red-white-and-blue Patriots fan. He should be allowed to go out on his own terms, within reason, and not get the old Bill boot out the door.

This now sets up a delicious football rivalry of sorts, for at least as long as Brady is still throwing spirals. Bill vs. Tom, football genius vs. football legend. Hopefully Brady lands in some new town where he can throw to some talented weapons and make a playoff run. In other words, a team with receivers better than the bum crop Belichick supplied him with last year.

At the same time, we’ll finally get to see what Belichick can do without the greatest quarterback who’s ever played. Will he continue his march as the greatest coach ever or will the Patriots fall from grace, never sniff another AFC Championship Game and leave their coach looking more like the man who left Cleveland in disgrace so many years ago?

New England has waited for years to see just how this Brady-Belichick story would end. The answer is finally here, on a rainy St. Patrick’s Day with the bars all closed, kids stuck in their homes for weeks or months, a pandemic raging throughout the world.

Maybe it’s only fitting.