The Tom Brady era in New England has ended, and many fans were shocked that he left. But at least one former Patriots saw it coming. Kyle Van Noy said on a radio appearance Thursday that he was not shocked about the franchise cornerstone leaving.
Van Noy, who played for the Patriots from 2016 to 2019, signed a four-year, $51 million contract with the Miami Dolphins this offseason. In what has been a mass exodus of New England veterans, Brady was undoubtedly the biggest name in a long list of players. New England has to begin to prepare for life post-Tom Brady.
Van Noy recalled his reaction to Brady leaving the team. He also offered some of his personal thoughts into Brady’s decision while speaking on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak and Bertrand”:
“I was just like everybody else: I was shocked a little bit, but I felt like I could see the writing on the wall with just how things went and just how things played out,” the linebacker said. “I wish he was a lifer in New England because I think that would have been a really cool story. But I’m happy for him. He got what he wanted, a $50 million contract guaranteed. That is amazing. It doesn’t matter how much money you’ve earned, that’s still a bunch of money.”
Brady signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Friday, agreeing to a deal worth up to $59 million.
It will be interesting to see if other former Patriots speak out on Brady leaving. As the organization looks to undergo a rebuild, the identity and makeup of this team will be drastically different than in past years.
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