New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been very quiet up to this point when it comes to resigning his longtime star quarterback Tom Brady. That all changed on Tuesday afternoon.
It wasn’t a press conference or even a sit-down interview with a local sportscaster. In fact, it happened in the blink of an eye.
In one of the quickest soundbites you may ever see with Patriots Owner Rober Kraft, TMZ Sports yelled out to Kraft a question all Patriots fans currently want an answer to: “Are we going to keep Tom in New England, Bob?”
Kraft’s answer? “We plan to!”
Those three simple words that Kraft spoke while hustling out to his ride gave Patriots fans everywhere a glimmer of hope that their favorite quarterback of the past two decades may re-up with New England.
Robert Kraft Gives Hope To Patriots Nation, 'We Plan To' Bring Back Tom!https://t.co/UMUAvACA1d
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) January 22, 2020
While Brady hits the free agency market on March 18 at 4 p.m. ET, New England currently has exclusive negotiating rights with Brady until then.
Technically, Brady, along with all NFL free agents, can begin talking to other teams on March 16 when the NFL’s open tampering period begins.
However, if Brady were to receive a great offer during the two days before free agency begins, the Patriots could match it if they desire.
Kraft has not said anything on Brady’s situation since the Patriots’ wild-card round loss to the Tennessee Titans. Kraft said when it comes to Brady coming back to New England and finishing his career where it started may come down to “hope and prayer.”
2020 is the first time in Brady’s career that he will be on the open market. It is going to be interesting to see what teams step forward once free agency begins.
Teams rumored to be favored in landing Tom Brady this offseason include the Indianapolis Colts, L.A. Chargers, and Tennessee Titans.