Could the Patriots Trade Tom Brady?

Nobody likes to think of the inevitable: 

One day, Tom Brady will not be in a Patriots uniform.

It is hard to guess when this painful moment will present itself. One year? Two years? four or five years?

Who knows for sure.

But what you cannot overlook is the fact that Bill Belichick may end up trading Tom Brady.

There are three possible ways that Brady’s tenure can end:

1. He can retire as a Patriot

2. He can sign with another team

3. He can get traded.

Let’s examine the first option.

Brady has said that he wants to play for a long time. If Brady ultimately retires as a Patriot, then this means that he will be with the Patriots for many more years. If he is with the Patriots for more than a couple of years, then the Pats will lose Jimmy Garoppolo to another team and may be stuck with no plan B for a quarterback after Brady leaves. For the Patriots to hold onto Brady this long, he would have to continue to play at such a high level that it would be impossible for Belichick to make a move. This seems unlikely given the fact that Belichick refused to trade Jimmy G for a first-round pick. If the Patriots keep Garoppolo, then they plan to start him in the not too distant future.

Let’s look at option two: signing with another team.

Brady could sign with another team for multiple reasons. He could play for one or two more seasons at a very high level with the Patriots, but Belichick may not want to re-sign Brady for the fear of losing Jimmy G. Belichick may also believe that Brady does not have much left in the tank. If Tom still thinks he can play, he will not retire just because the Patriots no longer want him. Many franchise players end up signing with different teams at end of their careers. For example, just recently, Belichick elected to cut long-time nose tackle Vince Wilfork. Wilfork ended up signing with the Houston Texans before retiring this past year. It would not be surprising if Belichick eventually takes the same approach with Tom Brady.

Option 3: trading Brady.

This option would sting. There is no doubt about it. How can you trade Tom Brady? He is the greatest quarterback of all time, and he has transformed the Patriots franchise. He is a legend in Boston and is basically a God.

Well, Belichick has a history of trading well-liked, veteran players, who still have something left in the tank. Instead of losing that player to free agency and receiving nothing in return, Belichick often trades the player for a draft pick.

For example, Belichick, to many people’s dismay, traded away Deion Branch, Mike Vrabel, Logan Mankins, and Richard Seymour.

Although many players are loyal to Bill, like Brady has been for years, Belichick has proven that he will not be loyal to you.

For example, in the Deflategate case, Belichick threw Brady under the bus by telling the media that they need to ask Brady about the deflated footballs.

Brady will be the ultimate test to see if Belichick does indeed have any soul.

It is hard to know what Belichick will decide to do with Tommy. Bob Kraft loves Tom like a son, and there is no doubt that Kraft would love to see Brady retire in a Patriots uniform.

But let’s be real for a second. This is Bill Belichick. All he cares about is winning football games, and “putting his team in the best position to win the game.”

If Belichick acts like he would to any other player, it would not be surprising if he trades Brady at some point before his tenure ends as a Patriot.

We have seen it happen to many other athletes.  For example, the great Joe Montana was traded away at the end of his career so that Steve Young could take his place in San Francisco.

We have even seen it happen recently in Boston to a different franchise.

In 2013, Paul Pierce, the most beloved Celtic of our generation, and Kevin Garnett were traded to the Brooklyn Nets for a plethora of future first-round picks.

Like Brady, Pierce was the figurehead of his team for over a decade. Like Brady, Pierce won a championship. Like Brady, Pierce was a true leader and a winner.

But Brady feels different to us. Even while writing this article, it is still hard to imagine anything happening other than Brady retiring as a Patriot.

But the history of sports tells us otherwise.

Until that moment comes, let’s enjoy the GOAT for the little time we may have left.