New England Patriots Tom Brady has announced he will be moving on in NFL free agency. Although Patriots fans continue to mourn, it seems they should be thankful that he was even around for this long.

The Patriots have been hesitant to secure Brady for the long haul over the past few years. According to Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston, he nearly walked out of training camp prior to the 2019 NFL season:

“Before the 2019 season, it took Brady seriously considering walking out of training camp before the Patriots gave him a raise and agreed to remove the franchise tag for 2020.”

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Brady has provided the Patriots with plenty of bang for their buck throughout his illustrious career to the tune of six Super Bowls and three league MVPs. He did this while giving the team a hometown discount time and time again in order to help them shore up talent across the board.

Rather than rewarding Brady for his efforts by giving him a lucrative extension to retire in New England, they instead opted to repay him with an incentive-ridden contract during the 2018 campaign. When they planned on doing the same last offseason, it was clear that he was ready to bow out until they gave him a raise.

It is safe to say that the treatment of Brady is hardly a good look for the Patriots franchise. Regardless, it is indicative of their approach to always make the team's future a top priority. Unfortunately, they are now left with a rather notable void to fill under center this offseason.