Tom Brady is no longer a New England Patriot and that reality must be accepted sooner rather than later.
This is a tough reality for everyone on the team, especially the younger players who didn’t spend as much time with the legendary quarterback. That’s why Bill Belichick made sure to re-sign free agents Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater this offseason — keeping long-tenured leaders in the locker room.
Brady has been the heart and soul of the Patriots for 20 seasons and he’s simply irreplaceable. But, the team can’t harp on his absence and will have to quickly move on if they expect to put together a winning season in 2020. McCourty explained how the team is starting this process while joining ESPN Radio 98.7 last week.
“One of the biggest things we have to do as a team, and as players individually, is move on, lock in, and get focused on life without Tom,” McCourty said, transcribed by WEEI. “Not just to harp on it, and talk about it, but to actually move on and try to prepare. I think the virtual meetings have been good for us to start that process.”
The Patriots, along with everyone else, are in a unique space right now with the coronavirus pandemic. Second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham will likely take over as the team’s starter and he’s not capable of getting reps or spending time with teammates this offseason.
New England has to make significant changes in order to win this year, but the leadership in the locker room will be the focal point in the process.
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