Tom Brady Benched: Why Bill Belichick Could Pull The Trigger On His Hall Of Fame Quarterback

Tom Brady was benched for one of the only times in his career during a blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football, but there is speculation that Bill Belichick may make the seating arrangement permanent.

The New England Patriots have stumbled to a 2-2 record this season, looking nothing like the dominant team of the past. Tom Brady has been a major reason, as he’s struggled to make anything out of his thin receiving corps.

Many noticed that Brady’s sideline demeanor is also drastically changed. Often known for his passion on the sidelines, Brady has looked dejected.

The poor play led Bill Belichick to replace Tom Brady in the fourth quarter of Monday’s blowout, giving promising rookie Jimmy Garoppolo his first chance for real NFL playing time. When asked afterward if Garoppolo could take over on a full-time basis, Belihick just smirked.

But many believe Tom Brady could be benched for good. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe said it would not be out of the realm of possibility for Belichick to bench Brady:

[I]t’s time to start wondering if the clock is running out on Brady’s Patriots tenure a lot more quickly than we thought. He says he wants to play well into his 40s, but the way he has opened the 2014 season, the Patriots look smarter each day for drafting Garoppolo in the second round this past May.

Bill Belichick has been know to shuttle older players in the past as their salaries no longer match their on-field output. Even longtime Patriots like Lawyer Milloy and Logan Mankins, who was a close friend to Brady, have been cast aside.

There are rumors that Belichick could even be considering trading Tom Brady, as he could still bring a solid return.

If he is benched by Bill Belichick, Tom Brady may end up headed for retirement. Before the season, Brady said he would retire “when I [stink],” but only Tom Brady himself knows just what criteria that would be.