We all have jobs to do.
We all have bosses who expect us to do those jobs at a high level.
We’re all replaceable.
Once upon a time Tom Brady learned that life lesson in New England at the hands of Bill Belichick, when the Patriots coach/GM/football boss picked Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
More than just the pick itself, the highest New England had drafted a quarterback to that point under Belichick and since taking Drew Bledsoe No. 1 overall, Belichick’s comments discussing the selection were a direct shot across the bow of Brady’s career mortality in Foxborough. After a few seasons of relatively diminishing play and Brady set to turn 37 that summer, Belichick made it clear he was planning for the future.
“We know Tom’s age and contract situation,” Belichick famously explained of the Garoppolo pick.
The results were magnificent. Not for Garoppolo, at least not in New England. But for Brady and by extension, Belichick’s team.
Brady was rejuvenated, motivated and kicked in the butt.
However you describe Brady’s reaction to the Garoppolo pick, it worked the same way his own slide to No. 199 had more than a decade earlier – it drove him to success.
Brady led the Patriots to another Super Bowl ring in 2014, first in a decade. It was the first of four trips to the Super Bowl between Garoppolo’s arrival and Brady’s eventual departure after the 2019 season, including three more titles on the back end of the dynasty.
Message sent. Message received. Results better than could have been expected.
It may not be quite the same message or have been delivered in quite the same way, but Patriots owner Robert Kraft just might have taken a page out of his top employee’s motivational playbook this past week when discussing Brady’s much-hyped Oct. 3 return to Gillette Stadium this coming fall.
Kraft told TMZ in one of the outlet’s trademark gorilla journalism sidewalk interviews with terrible audio that while he’s excited for Brady’s return to Foxborough, he’ll leave the decision of who should start at quarterback for his Patriots in 2021 – lackluster returning veteran Cam Newton or No. 15 overall pick Mac Jones? – to Belichick.
“I pay Bill a lot of money, let him decide,” Kraft said as he walked off, both literally and figuratively.
On the surface it may seem like a nothing comment.
Of course the coach will make the lineup decisions. Why wouldn’t he?
But in relation to everything that’s gone on regarding the quarterback position and the decision-making process in New England in recent months and years, maybe it’s not quite so benign. Maybe it’s a lot closer to the message sent when Belichick brought up Brady’s age and contract.
Maybe the pressure is every much on and very much by design.
First, Belichick’s contract has always been a third-rail topic in Patriot Nation. That’s need-to-know information and only Kraft and Belichick need to know it. Few times, if ever, has Kraft referenced how much he pays Belichick to lead the football operation – his contract situation, if you will – but a “lot of money” would certainly fall in line with reports over the last year that Belichick makes north of $20 million annually.
Second, and maybe more importantly, Kraft’s “let him decide” comment comes in an offseason when the decision-making process in New England has been questioned, dissected and (over) analyzed as much as ever. (A trend we happily continue with every word you are reading!)
There’s been speculation that Kraft, not Belichick, may have pushed for the Jones pick at No. 15.
Kraft openly acknowledged recent poor drafts under Belichick’s direction and, coincidentally or not, there have been plenty of reports of a more “collaborative” draft process this spring. Belichick praised his top personnel assistants for the way they “carried the ball” in the pre-draft process.
Then came the infamous Kraft Sports Productions war room footage from the Jones draft night selection with Belichick asking any of his subordinates who’d listen if they were “good on” the selection.
If we believe what we see in the video, this was a far cry from past drafts where Belichick supposedly used his dictatorial powers.
This was all hands on deck. A group effort. Succeed or fail as a unit!
Now though, the pressure is back on Belichick. Even with reports that the coach is still “bullish” on Newton starting, most of the world wants to see the supposedly NFL-ready Jones get his shot sooner rather than later.
Is Kraft, who made it clear this spring the quarterback position needed to be “solidified,” among those who want the former Alabama star leader under center as quickly as possible guiding a roster rebuilt through hundreds of millions of dollars of his free agent capital?
He didn’t tip his hand to TMZ, but he did put some pressure on Belichick the way the coach has done so many times with so many players over the years to earn their paychecks, including the GOAT.
If, when and how well Jones plays will almost certainly determine the short- and long-term success of the Patriots.
The post-Brady quarterback decision is the toughest Belichick has had to make not just since allowing TB12 to depart New England but maybe since he decided to dethrone Bledsoe in favor of a young buck Brady back in 2001.
Jones’ future, the Patriots future, Belichick’s future and Kraft’s future all, to one degree or another, rest on the timing and execution of the decision.
And the way Kraft seems to see it, this is why Belichick – not Matt Groh, Elliot Wolf, Dave Ziegler or anyone else who might have a made for in-house cameras thought on the topic -- makes the big bucks.
It’s your call, Bill.
Do your job.