Report: Robert Kraft Wants Tom Brady to Test Free Agency

The biggest criticism of the New England Patriots over the past few months is the fact that they are letting 42-year-old quarterback Tom Brady test out free agency this offseason.

The belief was that New England could have given Brady a reasonable multi-year extension last summer that could have locked up Brady through 2020. Instead, they gave him a one-year contract which allows him to become a free agent come March 18.

While Bill Belichick makes the football decisions for the Patriots, owner Robert Kraft can step in if he truly believes Belichick is making the wrong decision. This was reportedly the case back in 2017 when Kraft allegedly forced Belichick to trade Jimmy Garoppolo. Kraft supposedly wanted Brady to finish his career as a Patriot, so he forced Belichick to go against his own wishes of moving on from Brady by forcing him to trade Garoppolo before the trade deadline that season.

So why did Kraft not do more this time around to make sure that Brady, at the very least, stayed in New England through the 2020 season? According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, Kraft wanted his quarterback and head coach to come to the realization that the grass may not be greener on the other side.

"From what I understand, (Robert) Kraft's thinking on this was basically, if the sides came together, if Brady decided that the Patriots were his best option after testing free agency, and if Bill Belichick, who of course is making the decisions for New England, if he decides that Brady is his best option at this price, then in the end after all this, after going through everything and it would mean that, basically, it was meant to be and that it's the best things for all sides. Kraft wanted them to get apart, see what's out there, try to come together in the middle, and the hope is, if that works out for 2020 that everyone will be happy that they went through the process."

From NFL Now: #Patriots owner Robert Kraft felt the best outcome for all parties in 2020 would come after Tom Brady tested free agency. An explanation for why he agreed to let it happen 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/9UkM6aZp2w
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 10, 2020

As the greatest duo in NFL history, one can imagine the egos of Brady and Belichick has them thinking they may want to win without each other. That would prove to themselves and to their doubters that they have what it takes to win football games without the help of the other. But Kraft, based on what Rapoport reported, wants them to test the waters and hopefully realize that their best chance of winning in the NFL is with each other, and that they should embrace the special, dominant situation they have in New England.

While Kraft's scenario will most likely have Brady playing football again for the Patriots in 2020, the chance does still exist that Brady could play elsewhere during his 21st season in the NFL. If that does happen, then Kraft may regret not doing more to lock up his QB before the 2019 season.