Adam Humphries Passed Up the Patriots Because of Brady's Age, Which is the Dumbest Reasoning in the History of Reasons
Source – Adam Humphries could have played with Tom Brady this season. He chose the Titans instead.
The slot receiver signed a four-year deal with Tennessee, spurning the Patriots’ late push to sign him. Brady’s age factored in Humphries’ decision-making: How long does the soon-to-be 42-year-old quarterback have left?
Will Brady play another four years? He repeatedly has said he wants to play until he’s 45.
“Obviously, he’s the G.O.A.T. That’s that simple,” Humphries said, via Travis Haney of TheAthletic.com. “But there’s so much that factors into a decision. It was a four-year deal. Who knows how many [years] he’s got left. There’s a lot that goes into it.
“Obviously the chance to play with him would have been awesome, but a lot of things factor into that decision. Ultimately, I thought this was coming here to a team that was on the rise and with young talent on the offense and a really good defense. They’d had a taste of the playoffs.”
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Listen, this is still America. And theoretically a free country. For the time being, at least. Which means Adam Humphries can make his career choices in whatever way pleases him, his agent, and his God. But if his reason for choosing Marcus Mariota over Tom Brady is age, that is just lunacy.
Tell me you gave Tennessee your word and didn’t want to go back on it. Tell me the money was better. Tell me you love Nashville. Tell me you don’t like my firm, tell me you don’t like my idea, and tell me you don’t like my fucking neck tie. But don’t tell me you think Mariota will ever give you a better chance at success.
Here are their Pro Football Focus rankings from last season. Show me one category where the young calf has the edge over the old bull:
Even the ones where you’d assume the younger QB would do better, like Sacks, the 41-year-old was better than the 25-year-old. And his passing numbers were better across the board, despite having almost twice as many dropped balls.
The thing of it is, four years is an eternity by NFL standards. It’s longer than the average career. I don’t know how many players ever make it to the end of a four-year deal but if you told me it’s a small minority I wouldn’t doubt you. Professionally speaking, these guys are mayflies. And can’t afford to worry about a month from now, never mind who’ll be throwing them passes in 2022.
In this case, choosing the 20-something over the 40-something is like choosing this:
Over this:
I don’t know what Kate Beckinsale will be doing in four years time. But I know with a complete, unequivocal moral certainy that Lena Dunham will not be Kate Beckinsale. Not in four years. Not in four months. Not in four hundred reincarnations. And Mariota won’t be Brady in four years, four months or four generations from now.
Humphries own objectionable ageist attitude aside, when you have the chance to be with a world class champion, you take it every, single time, let the chips fall and the future will take care of itself. Because in life, in the bedroom and on the football field, these chanced don’t come along often and you can’t afford to squander one.
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I can’t believe I wanted Humphries so badly when the rumors were flying about him coming to New England. Maybe he’ll end up where when the Jarrett Stidham Era begins. But I’m not sure I’ll ever want him again after this.