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Rest easy, Boston, and take a deep breath. According to Coach Bill Belichick, Tom Brady won’t be getting the Drew Bledsoe treatment anytime soon.
Anyone who has bothered to turn on a television or open a computer sometime within the last eighteen months is aware by now that the longtime New England Patriots quarterback will not be joining his team on the field at the start of the upcoming 2016-17 season after losing his second appeal in the infamous Deflategate saga.
On his Facebook page, Brady announced that he would be bowing out of the fight and though the NFLPA has yet to give up, it seems certain that audiences will be getting their first good look at backup Jimmy Garoppolo as he steps in to fill the four-time Super Bowl champion’s shoes.
Who can forget the circumstances surrounding Brady’s own debut on the big stage? It seems like the superstar has been a household name for time immemorial, but sixteen years ago, he was just another lowly backup, waiting for his chance.
That chance came in 2001 after Bledsoe, the Patriots starting quarterback at the time, was sidelined by a crushing hit delivered by Mo Lewis during New England’s Week 2 match-up with their division rivals, the New York Jets. After a few more downs, Brady took the reins, an ignominious beginning to what has proven to be a legendary career.
Brady stepped up and Bledsoe never regained his starting position, reduced to wearing headphones and holding the clipboard on the sidelines as he watched his former understudy not only take his spot, but thrive in it as well. With Brady under center, the Patriots clambered to the top of the AFC East, notching an 11-5 record, and, of course, bringing home the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory against the mighty Greatest Show On Turf.
By the next season, Bledsoe was wearing a Buffalo Bills jersey, and Brady was firmly at the helm of what has become a dynasty. With the benefit of hindsight, it would be near-impossible for anyone to argue that Bill Belichick made the wrong choice fifteen years ago, but at the time, the decision came under fire. Brady was an unproven entity, replacing the franchise player. Earlier in 2001, Bledsoe had signed a then-record ten-year, $103 million contract.
When pressed by reporters, Belichick continued to insist that he was making the best decision for the team. And he was right. So with all of that being said, it’s not difficult to imagine a similar scenario crossing the minds of even the most devout of Brady supporters. How good will Garoppolo really be? Could he even be good enough to depose a legend?
At today’s press conference during Patriots Training Camp in Foxboro, a reporter asked Belichick if there was any chance Garoppolo could remain starter upon Brady’s return from suspension.
Belichick’s response? “Jesus Christ.”
The familiarly terse response should be enough to allay the fears. At least for now.
