Did Patriots Struggle In 2020 Because They Couldn't Get Over Tom Brady Breakup?

Breaking up is hard to do, both in real life and in football.

And according to the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, the Patriots spent a lot of time last season pining for the good ol' days with Tom Brady.

“I have talked to a couple of guys this offseason. All they did behind closed doors amongst each other last year was talk Tom Brady. Tom Brady was the conversation in the Patriots locker room,” Volin told WEEI radio. “And not in a bad way — guys weren’t angry at him at all.”

Brady, 43, bolted the Pats in free agency last summer. In the winter, he quarterbacked the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win, just like he used to do with the Patriots.

Meanwhile, Cam Newton took Brady's old spot in New England. Unlike Brady, Newton sort of played as if his best days were behind him. Not bad, but not the Newton of old. The Patriots finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs.

Basically, for a long time, Brady was the Patriots.

“I think he, Brady still has a lot of fans and a lot of supporters and friends in the Patriots ,” Volin said. “And guys were just constantly talking about him and following him and comparing and talking about old stories and why did Brady leave and his relationship with McDaniels and his relationship with Belichick. All they did last year was talk Tom Brady.”

No word, of course, on whether Belichick was among those still chatting it up about Brady.

“The guys I talked to said they don’t know, which is classic Bill,” Volin said. “Bill is a poker player through and through, you never know what he’s thinking. He’s not going to join in on those conversations. Bill’s not hanging out in the locker room like Sean Payton or some of those other coaches. So Bill, you never got a read on him. But the players who are still very pro-Brady, all they did was talk Brady last year.”

https://twitter.com/KenLairdWEEI/status/1393909642120601602