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Tom Brady didn't want to play for the New England Patriots anymore. So, he left.
That may not seem like a novel concept, but Brady's decision to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 free agency sent shockwaves through the NFL. Unlike modern NBA stars, successful franchise quarterbacks tend to stick with their teams. So even as rumors swirled about Brady leaving New England, few thought he'd actually leave the club that helped him win six Super Bowl titles.
Brady held his ground, however. And the way he handled his situation last March hasn't gone unnoticed among his contemporaries.
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“I think he’s given a lot of power to the players," former Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Thursday. "I think what Tom Brady did leaving New England -- obviously, he has the right to choose his spot in Tampa. For that to work out how it has -- you see other sports, you see what the basketball players are able to do, and football you don’t have that much power as a player."
Ryan believes the fact that Brady has had immediate success with the Bucs -- who are set to play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV on Sunday -- may inspire other elite quarterbacks to wonder if the grass is greener elsewhere.
"Now you’re seeing these other quarterbacks saying, ‘You know what? I’m not happy in my situation. I’ve done too much for this city. I’ve done too much for this organization. ... I think I deserve better management, better coaching,’ whatever it may be," Ryan said.
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The New York Giants cornerback specifically mentioned Deshaun Watson, who has requested a trade amid frustration with the Houston Texans' front office.
Former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford also successfully negotiated his way out of Detroit last week, trading places with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff.
“You’re starting to see some of these really elite players who have the who have the leverage to say, ‘You know what? I don’t have to just play [for] the city that drafted me,' " Ryan said.
" 'I understand they drafted me, but I make a lot of income for the city. I do a lot of good things here. I’m allowed to be happy. I’m allowed to choose where I want to go to and choose my success.' "
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Brady certainly isn't the first big-name QB to part ways with the team that drafted him. Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl title with the Denver Broncos after 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, while Joe Montana left the San Francisco 49ers for the Chiefs near the end of his career.
The Colts and 49ers both had QBs waiting in the wings in Andrew Luck and Steve Young, however. Brady was the Patriots' Plan A, yet that didn't stop him taking a $50 million contract from the Bucs instead of another pay cut to stay in New England.
If the Bucs can beat the Chiefs on Sunday, consider that decision validated.