The New England Patriots: An End of an Era

Will he? Won’t he? Should he? Could he?

When the New England Patriots’ 2019 season came to an end following a shock upset in their AFC Wild Card matchup against the Tennessee Titans, more than a few eyes began to fall on their quarterback, Tom Brady. Having been with the team for 20 years, whispers were starting to be heard throughout the league that the 2019 season could well be Brady’s last in a Patriots uniform.

For those of you unfamiliar with the NFL, the significance of this departure may be lost on you. Tom Brady, drafted 199^th overall in 2000 out of the University of Michigan, went largely unnoticed as he joined the New England Patriots as the fourth choice quarterback on their depth chart.

Very little was expected of Brady as a professional athlete. Many scouts were highly critical of his build and abilities as he headed to the draft; “… he’s just common. He’s very bony, very thin kind of guy. God, you can see his ribs on his build. His arm is just adequate.” Said one NFC scout of Brady, whilst another wasted few words, saying “I don’t like him. Smart guy, that’s it.”

Well, looks can indeed be deceiving. Brady went on to become arguably the greatest quarterback the game of American Football has ever seen. Over a span of 20 years, he took the New England Patriots to 9 Super Bowls and of those, winning 6, including one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history, as the Patriots overturned a 25 point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons, with just over a quarter remaining in the game.

Tom Brady was the New England Patriots. He wasn’t just the face of a franchise, he was the face of a two-decade-long dynasty.

And now he isn’t..

On the 17^th of March, Tom Brady announced via social media that his time with the New England Patriots was at an end. In a heartfelt message, he thanked legendary Pats’ coach Bill Belichick, owner Robert Kraft, and the Patriots fans, as the curtain was closed on an unforgettable era in New England.

However, he wasn’t retiring. This wasn’t Brady calling time on his career, oh no. For years, Tom Brady had been accepting team friendly – but still generous – deals, to ensure that the Patriots had the best chance of winning. He did this with the caveat that, eventually, he would want a deal from New England on his terms.

Well, that didn’t happen. Brady’s skills, whilst still considerable, have been in decline over the last few seasons. As such, New England, despite the success Brady brought to them, decided he is surplus to requirements, and allowed him to become a free agent with no intent of resigning him.

After 20 years, incredibly, Tom Brady will be swapping the Patriots blue, for the red and grey of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a move that very few people ever saw coming. Business Insider had the Buccs down at 50/1 odds as Brady’s new team. 

Understandably, Patriots fans are distraught. Since Brady became quarterback, the New England Patriots have failed to make the postseason only twice, in 2002 and 2008. There is an entire generation of Patriots fans who have been raised, not only to hope for success, but to expect it each and every year.

Well, with Brady gone, and no clear replacement in place, this generation of fans are likely to witness the very sharp and very shocking decline of one of sport’s greatest franchises.

However, the New England Patriots aren’t the first sports franchise to mourn the loss of their greatest member. In 2013, on the other side of the Atlantic, Manchester United fans watched on as the great Sir Alex Ferguson bid an emotional farewell to Old Trafford, after a 27 year tenure in charge of the club.

Over the course of these 27 years, Ferguson had created a domestic and international powerhouse. Winning 49 trophies, including 13 League Titles, 6 FA Cups, and 2 Champions Leagues, Ferguson’s decision to retire in 2013 left him with a legacy unlikely ever to be seen again in football.

Ferguson’s departure left an immense void at Old Trafford. Who could possibly come in and fill the shoes that the great man had left? David Moyes? Louis van Gaal? Jose Mourinho? At the time, many fans – myself included – felt that it wouldn’t matter who stepped into the role. Regardless of who was in charge, we were Manchester United, the team that wins.

Oh how naïve I was. Much like that generation of New England Patriot fans, I had been born into an era of total dominance. I had never known what it was like to see Manchester United lose, let alone lose often. I never experienced the years of *shudders* Liverpool’s success under Bill Shankly, or of *shudders* Leeds’ distant achievements.

Yet here I am, 7 years later, deep into the Wilderness Years, hoping that one day a saviour will return to Old Trafford and lift us out of the doldrums. Having to suffer the success of Jürgen Klopp’s 2019/20 Liverpool squad has been the salt in the wound. Our greatest rivals, finally usurping us as England’s best.

But where does this leave the New England Patriots fans? Well, I suppose the point I’m trying to make, is that for all the mediocrity and ineptitude that I’ve seen from Manchester United over the past 7 years, I would not change the way things have happened. I have realised that the dominance of Manchester United that I grew up during, was a rare anomaly, a sporting Holy Grail that so very few sports fans ever get to drink from.

It was a privilege to enjoy that success, not a right. A level of success and dominance on parity to that of the Ferguson era is unlikely to ever be seen again at Old Trafford; all the more reason to cherish the fact that I was alive to see it and to enjoy it.

So I say to New England Patriots fans, who feel despondent and disparaged; the greatest era of your team’s football may well be over. Mourn it, but do not long for it. Don’t waste your time expecting or hoping for someone to step in and emulate Tom Brady, because, like me, you will waste 7 years of your life angry that it is over, rather than amazed it ever happened.

For now, all we can do is wonder.. can Tom Brady continue his success outside of New England? Will he lead Tampa Bay to their second ever Super Bowl win? I guess time will tell.