NFL rumors: Tom Brady took a final shot at the Patriots before retirement

Prior to his retirement from the NFL, Tom Brady considered playing for three teams — a return to the New England Patriots was never on the table.

In fact, per ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Tom Brady adamantly stated he wanted nothing to do with a New England return.

The 49ers, Raiders and Dolphins were raised as initial suitors for TB12, and while he had interest in all three, he eventually decided to end his career with some dignity left. The quarterback we witnessed towards the end of last season was not the best of Brady. He may still have something left to give the game on the gridiron, but sometimes it’s best to retire on top — or at least prior to hitting an all-time low.

At 45 years old, the time was right for Brady to leave the game (for real this time) and spend some time with his family.

Patriots were never in consideration for Tom Brady

As it turns out, when Tom Brady left New England, he did so for good. There were no strings attached.

Brady and Bill Belichick reportedly had a falling out of sorts — though the details of that conversation were never revealed. The pair remain on good terms, as do Brady and Robert Kraft, but the idea of competing with one another again is off the table.

Brady was reportedly asked by his confidants if he would consider a return to New England this offseason. The future Hall of Famer was quick to the draw.

“No, that ain’t happening,” Brady said, per Darlington.

A return to the Pats never made much sense. While Mac Jones looked flawed last season, he remains a former first-round pick that New England invested a lot in. He also played with Matt Patricia as his offensive coordinator, which couldn’t have helped matters.

Now that Bill O’Brien is calling the shots, perhaps Jones can take another step forward without Brady in the picture.