Tom Brady Has Heartfelt Instagram Post for Patriots Nation Amid Departure Rumors

The ongoing saga of a dynasty ending continues to confuse, entertain and elicit conversation around the NFL, even with the New England Patriots' season ending earlier than fans are used to.

Tom Brady took to social media with a heartfelt, yet noncommittal, post a few days after the Patriots' 20-13 Wild Card loss to the Tennessee Titans in Foxborough.

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I just wanted to say to all of our fans, THANK YOU! After a few days of reflection, I am so grateful and humbled by the unconditional support you have shown me the past two decades. Running out of that tunnel every week is a feeling that is hard to explain. I wish every season ended in a win, but that’s not the nature of sports (or life). Nobody plays to lose. But the reward for working hard is just that, the work!! I have been blessed to find a career I love, teammates who go to battle with me, an organization that believes in me, and fans who have been behind us every step of the way. Every one of us that works at Gillette Stadium strived to do their best, spent themselves at a worthy cause, and prepared to fail while daring greatly (h/t Teddy Roosevelt). And for that, we’ve been rewarded with something that the scoreboard won’t show - the satisfaction of knowing we gave everything to each other in pursuit of a common goal. That is what TEAM is all about. In both life and football, failure is inevitable. You dont always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again. And that’s right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove.

A post shared by Tom Brady (@tombrady) on Jan 8, 2020 at 5:50am PST

The 42-year-old quarterback is a free agent, and for the first time ever in his career, it seems the option to leave the New England Patriots is more a possibility than ever before.

This post might help quell the existential crisis New England fans are feeling, with Brady hinting at a possible return towards the end of his post. But the six-time Super Bowl winner is still looking to sell his mansion in Massachusetts, reportedly even lowering the price late in 2019, while also expressing discontent with his roster this season, showing bitterness towards the Patriots for releasing star receiver Antonio Brown earlier this season.

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— AB (@AB84) January 5, 2020

Nevertheless, Tom Brady was short of offensive talent around him this season, which contributed to his declining passing numbers all year. Much of the blame shouldn't be on the greatest quarterback of all time; it should rest on the shoulders of the franchise for setting Brady up for failure.

As the NFL playoffs enter the latter stages, there will be huge taking points and storylines to follow, but the Brady watch will always be the first and last headline on any given day.