If only the Jets had listened.
To who exactly? Oh, just the scout who wanted to draft Tom Brady.
It has long been rumored that such lobbying took place in New York’s war room during the 2000 draft, but Mike Tannenbaum, Gang Green’s general manager from 2006-2012 and a longtime front office employee before that, recently confirmed the anecdote to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. The way he told it, scout Jesse Kaye “loved” Brady and believed he had been “treated unfairly” while at Michigan. Kaye saw the opportunity to steal a special talent late in the draft and made his opinion known.
The Jets, of course, went in a different direction, one that led to years of being tortured by Brady.
Recently spoke w/ ex #Jets exec Mike Tannenbaum, who was in war room that day. He confirmed what had been rumored for years: Scout Jesse Kaye lobbied for Brady (probably in 5th round). MT: Kaye "loved" Brady, said he was "treated unfairly" at UM and would be "great player." https://t.co/8mADaJh6Ls
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) April 16, 2020
The Jets had already used one of their four first-round picks on a quarterback, Marshall product Chad Pennington. The plan was for Pennington to spend his rookie year learning behind veteran Vinny Testaverde, so it didn’t make much sense for the Jets to spend another pick on the position later in the draft.
If only the Jets had had the foresight to wait for Brady.
Instead, the Patriots took him with the 199th overall pick in the sixth round. Brady became New England’s starter in 2001 and the rest is history. The Patriots won six Super Bowls behind the future Hall of Fame quarterback, who also won three MVP awards during his 20 years with the team.
The Jets, meanwhile, have made the playoffs just six times since the 2000 draft. Brady owns a 29-7 career record against them. Pennington was a serviceable arm and one of the league’s most accurate passer during his eight years with the Jets, but he was never able to put them over the top and often struggled to stay healthy.
Now, at long last, Brady’s reign of terror in the AFC East is over. With the 42-year-old beginning a new chapter in Tampa Bay, the division is as ripe for the picking as it’s ever been over the last two decades. With an all-time nemesis no longer a threat, perhaps the Jets can finally make some noise 20 years after passing on their scout’s advice.