Following their 20-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Game on Saturday at Gillette Stadium, New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady expressed his appreciation to fans for their support through thick and thin, per Mike Reiss of ESPN. During his post-game press conference, Brady was asked about his message to fans, to which he replied: I personally appreciate everything they’ve contributed – not just this year, but a lot of years.” Brady completed just 20 of 37 passes for 209 yards and an interception as the Patriots suffered their earliest playoff exit since their loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the 2010 Wild Card Game.
When asked if he will retire after this season, Brady said it would be highly unlikely, but did not say if he will remain with the Patriots next season.
Brady expresses gratitude to Patriots organization
42-year-old Brady will be a free agent after this season, and the Patriots cannot use the franchise tag on him based on the provisions of the two-year contract extension that he signed in the offseason. The additional two years are voidable under the new deal, meaning Brady can test the free-agent market in March. As for Brady, he expressed gratitude to the Patriots organization for giving him an opportunity to play when they took him as the 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.
Brady said he’s grateful to team owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick for the chance to play for the greatest organization.
“There's nobody whose had a better career, I would say, than me -- being with them. So I'm very blessed,” said Brady. When asked if he would stay with the Patriots, Brady said he doesn’t know what the future holds and he’s not going to predict it. Earlier, Reiss reported that Brady and Patriots are on a "wait and see" mode regarding the quarterback's contract status.
Brady has repeatedly expressed his intention to play until he’s 45 years old, but there are reports that the Patriots could move on from him. Adam Schefter of ESPN revealed that Brady has three choices after this season -- stay in New England, retire or sign with another team. Among the three choices, Schefter said staying with the Patriots is the least likely option for the veteran quarterback.
Brady’s father, Tom Brady Sr., hinted that his son could take his talent elsewhere if the Patriots decide to move on from him.
NFL denies report
Earlier Saturday, Schefter and Ian Rapoport reported that the NFL is set to discipline the Patriots for the videotaping incident involving the team’s production crew on the Cincinnati Bengals for their “Do Your Job” segment. However, the NFL, in a statement, denied the report, saying the probe is still ongoing and there has been no discussion of any potential discipline. The league added that any report of potential discipline or any time on its announcement is “pure speculation.”
