Category: Patriots

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[Editor’s note: Sports agent Leigh Steinberg will write a series of guest columns for Touchdown Wire examining pro football topics from his perspective of expertise after more than four decades in and around the game.]

When quarterback Tom Brady recently announced that he was leaving the New England Patriots and signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it led to shock and surprise in the football world. Most observers and fans thought he was inextricably intertwined with the Patriots, and his free agency would inevitably lead to his re-signing with them. With Brady at the helm, the Patriots dominated the NFL — winning 249 games and going to more Super Bowls than any team in history. So why would he make that decision?

In general, quarterbacks look for stability and continuity throughout their careers. Familiarity with a coach, a system and surrounding players leads to more productivity. Teams with franchise quarterbacks tend to extend their contracts well before there is a threat of free agency. A dynamic quarterback is rarely available on the open market in this quarterback-centric era.

The shock of Brady leaving needs to be leavened with some historical perspective. Many of the most talented NFL quarterbacks have finished their long and storied careers in different settings. Iconic Baltimore Colts QB Johnny Unitas left after years and then played for San Diego. Jets QB Joe Namath left New York and finished with the Los Angeles Rams. Falcons QB Steve Bartkowski left for the Rams. San Francisco QB Joe Montana left a storied 49ers tenure after four Super Bowl victories and finished in Kansas City. Peyton Manning is best known as a Colt, but he also won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos.

One of the motivations for Brady was to add to his legacy by taking another team to the Super Bowl. Likewise, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick might want to show his coaching greatness by taking home the Lombardi Trophy in a post-Brady era. Having represented more than 100 NFL quarterbacks, I can attest to the fact that players start to think about legacy and history later in their careers.

Steve Young was in the twilight of an illustrious career with the 49ers when he suffered a concussion, his fourth in three years, in Week 3 of the 1999 season. He missed the remainder of the year and never received medical clearance from the team. When San Francisco decided to move forward with Jeff Garcia as its starting QB the following season, Young was forced to make a tough decision.

Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan wanted Young to be his QB in Denver, and Steve was tempted to join him. Young had won Super Bowl XXIX with Shanahan as his offensive coordinator, and the two were close friends. It was a difficult decision-making process for Steve. We talked about the pros and cons. Ultimately, he felt he had achieved enough and wanted to end his career with the team he had led to a championship. He had a law degree and numerous job options, and he was at peace.

Troy Aikman faced a similar decision in 2002. Just two years removed from a storied playing career in which he led the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl victories, Aikman already had ascended to Fox’s top NFL broadcast team. But after Dolphins QB Jay Fiedler suffered a thumb injury in Week 6, Miami offensive coordinator Norv Turner — who had served as Aikman’s offensive coordinator in Dallas for three seasons — called with an offer. Troy had financial security, a great family and a prestigious second career, but he still agonized over the opportunity. He firmly believed he could still play. We discussed it. In the end, Troy decided it was necessary to put the same passion and commitment into his broadcast career that he had put in football.

It is difficult for players to walk off into the sunset, even when they have achieved amazing feats on the field, have financial security and a second career waiting. They are born competitors who thrive on the camaraderie of the locker room. Brady is no exception. Although he will turn 43 in August, he has made it clear that he wants to play until age 45.

Brady has had the same excellent attorney/agent, Don Yee, for his entire career. They clearly went through a thorough analysis of Brady’s options. When I take a client through free agency, the first step is to have the player do an internal analysis of his values and priorities. How important, and in what order, does he rank goals such as short-term financial gain, long-term financial security, family considerations, geographical location, profile and recognition, endorsement, spiritual values and making a positive difference in the world? Then we look at the football considerations: starting, winning, quality of coaching, offensive system, quality of teammates, facilities and training staff.

Over the course of his 20-year career, Brady has earned more money than he could ever spend. He is married to a supermodel who has exceeded his wealth. Money, therefore, probably wasn’t a primary factor in his decision-making process. Conversely, determining where he had the best chance to win and be well coached was crucial. No doubt, Brady made a thorough analysis of the Patriots’ roster strength and compared it to the other franchises interested in him. Brady would be acutely aware of what the Patriots’ needs were. He had one star receiver in Julian Edelman, who continued to make plays even when defenses knew the ball was coming to him, but New England has little depth at that position. The loss of tight end Rob Gronkowski had a debilitating effect on his offense last season.

Tampa Bay offered a strong offensive line. The Buccaneers have a Pro Bowl wide receiver with great size in Mike Evans. They have a talented young tight end in O.J. Howard and an emerging running back in Ronald Jones. Bucs head coach Bruce Arians is a great offensive mind and a motivator with a reputation as a player’s coach. He almost certainly would’ve been part of a critical presentation as to how and why they would win with Brady at the helm. Whatever the Bucs pitched spoke loudly to Brady’s key priority. There had to be positive motivation expressed strongly to the Brady team.

We don’t know the level of tension or conflict, if any, within the Patriots’ hierarchy of Brady, Belichick and owner Robert Kraft. However, it is clear that Brady matched his priorities with what Tampa Bay offered and made a rational decision he is happy with. The rest will be history.

Leigh Steinberg pioneered the agent industry on his way to becoming the preeminent agent in the sports world. With an unrivaled history of record-setting contracts, Leigh has secured more than $3 billion for 300-plus pro athlete clients and directed more than $750 million to various charities around the world. He has represented the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft an unprecedented eight times. He also has represented 10 Hall of Famers — Warren Moon, Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Derrick Thomas, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Kevin Greene, Kenny Easley, Howie Long and Edgerrin James — 62 first-round draft picks and over 150 Pro Bowl clients. In Leigh’s current practice, he partners with Chris Cabott to represent Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Jones, Jayon Brown and many other rising stars.

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