Tom Brady’s Mystery QB

[Aerolithe_Lion]

I have a strong prediction of who he’s talking about, based on multiple factors that go beyond this one conversation:

Exhibit A "One of the teams, they weren’t interested at the very end. I was thinking, you’re sticking with that [expletive]”

There are 32 teams in the NFL... but He’s obviously not talking about New England or Tampa Bay. That leave 30 teams who could have potentially requested Tom Brady’s services. For a myriad of reasons, at least 20 of those teams were uninterested.

But what is the number 1 reason a team would say no to Tom Brady? Pat Mahomes. What is the number 2 reason? Aaron Rodgers. Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson (at the time), on and on. So 20+ teams implicitly said to Tom Brady, "We’re sticking with this MFer.”

Why does one team who never wanted Tom Brady evade his scorn, but another that kicked the tires and then backed out is so out of place, so upsetting? Could it be that he had a professional and possibly even an emotional investment in their involvement? That quote sure sounds personal. Let’s say Chicago asked Tom to interview with them, asked to go out for drinks, and then canceled and said, "We like Mitch.” Who cares? Tom replies, "Seeya, chumps,” and then moves on. 
 

Why is the quote not "30 teams are sticking with that MFer?” That would make sense and not be such a story. "Tom Brady thinks all QBs are MFers” would be the headline. But he doesn’t, he thinks 1 individual QB is a MFer, and I believe it doesn’t have as much to do with the QB as it does the team.

 

Exhibit B Tom Brady reportedly wanted to stay with his family on the East Coast.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/nfl/chargers/.amp/news/tom-brady-free-agency-family-chargers-patriots-buccaneers

 

Chargers and Bears were reportedly finalists in the Tom Brady sweepstakes, implying the Bears aren’t a team that bowed out early. They were in it ‘til the end. And Tom picked an East Coast team, giving credence to the report. With 1 exception; my guess is Tom’s preference was a team close to his family UNLESS SF called. His childhood team, a team everyone was convinced he desired to play for. But that brings us to…

Exhibit C Brett and Aaron.

I’m not convinced in this day and age that two teammates as high profile as Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo could dislike each other and it never makes national news. No one ever figures it out. Somewhere, someone sees something. Teammates are unnamed sources or agents let the team know they have to get rid of the backup. 

Even in GB, Brett and Favre had a relationship that never went further than acquaintances. They didn’t hate each other, but because they weren’t best friends it exploded. If Tom actually didn’t care for Jimmy to vice versa? Could you imagine? Jimmy has spoken nothing but glowingly about Tom. 

Tom isn’t going into the national media to call Jimmy a MFer. Not a Jimmy G who JUST made the Super Bowl that season. Not a Jimmy G who is attached at the hip with SF by signing the biggest contract in NFL history not 2 years prior. He’s not calling Jimmy out like that unless there’s residual tension there. "You’re keeping the guy who you can’t afford to cut/trade and who made you a SB contender? That MFer?” Does that really sound like Tom Brady? The only things Tom doesn’t like about Jimmy is that people thought he’d replace him in NE. Like Brett, once that was over they were good, they were teammates, they went through the fire together. 

So it’s not Jimmy, it’s likely in the East, and Tom really saw himself going there. He was hurt they didn’t reciprocate. Who could that possibly be? what head coach does he have a better relationship with than Bruce Arians, than Bill Belichick, than any other maybe in NFL history? What head coach can he call something more than just ‘coach?’

Exhibit D Tom and Mike Vrabel are friends. No, like really good friends.

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/mike-vrabel-thanks-good-friend-tom-brady-motivating-titans-instagram

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/tom-brady-gets-caught-on-video-facetiming-with-titans-coach-mike-vrabel-fueling-free-agency-speculation/amp/
 

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/video/mike-vrabel-explains-his-facetime-call-tom-brady-and-julian-edelman
 

What are the odds Mike didn’t ask his former teammate and friend to come join his AFC championship game team? Zero. What are the odds Tom didn’t want to go play for his friend who’s only had winning records in Tennessee, who was a lot closer to NY than TB, who had the run game, had the defense, had the pieces for his to succeed? Unless there was an unforeseen hiccup in that connection, wouldn’t it have gutted Tom if Mike suddenly told him no thanks? You don’t make this statement when the Bears say they’re in on Trubisky. You make this statement when your friend blows you off.

Exhibit E Dak Prescott.

This is the big one for me. Why didn’t Dallas sign Dak Prescott in 2019? They could have saved 10’s of millions over the life of the contract. Why did they wait until the 11th hour before they had to decide to pay him franchise Tag #2 money? Because throughout negotiations, Dak wanted top money… and Jerry didn’t cave until he had to. Same thing with Zeke, Zeke got paid when he tightened his grip on Jerry. Pulled the same tactic Emmitt did. Dez got paid at the 11th hour when Jerry had no choice. That’s how record breaking deals often play out: team tries to convince player not to do it up until the point of no return. Then they ‘settle’ by paying them. But what about below market value deals? What about the thriftier deals, why would those drag on and on? They don’t.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sportingnews.com/us/amp/nfl/news/ryan-tannehill-contract-titans-dolphins/6txc2srx2su21e1q3tjnj6jz4

Ryan Tannehill was signed on March 15th, 3 days before Free Agency, for under 30m$ a year. In 2020 a quarterback signed a long term deal that averaged 20-something million a year. Why does it take until 3 days before free agency to come to that agreement? They weren’t waiting to see what other teams offered, heck they didn’t even franchise him; they franchised Henry instead. By waiting so long to sign him, Ryan could have stalled 3 more days to go to free agency. Tennessee was in danger of losing their starting QB. Why allow that to happen? But would have Ryan made as much on the open market? It felt like Tennessee was a perfect storm for him… so why did he wait until March to agree to the extension. It doesn’t make a lot of sense for either side, both had a ton to lose.

 

Exhibit F They were the team most in it at the beginning but no where to be found at the end:

"To me, it’s either going to be New England or Tennessee, with the 49ers closing hard on the outside,” NBC Sports Boston reporter Tom Curran said Tuesday on Mad Dog Sports Radio (SirusXM).

"I was told the Titans believe that they have a pretty good chance in a head-to-head match-up with the Patriots to land Tom Brady." —@JFowlerESPN

Even Adam Shefter:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/boston.cbslocal.com/2020/02/20/tom-brady-update-tennessee-titans-favorite-right-now-patriots-ranked-third/?amp

The comment was because Tom implied there was a team in the running to sign him but suddenly pulled out before he made his final choice. A team that really mattered to Tom, a team that hurt him.

Ladies and gentlemen, Ryan Tannehill is that Mother Trucker.

 

 

 

EDIT: Sorry for weird formatting, I’m on my phone

[Vee]

Excellent analysis.  I'm sold.

[toolg]

There are some compelling reasons he's talking about Garoppolo.... The drama in New England, that one time people thought Garoppolo was going to replace Brady... That's a fun one to think about.

But Tennessee makes a lot of sense. They are built to win it all now and an elite QB like Brady will put them over the top. Brady has seen a lot of Tannehill's play, when he was on the Dolphins playing in the same division.