***Disclaimer***

This is an opinion that is not well liked among my Jets-fan friends, so I wanted to share this with all of you to see if I’m making a point, or if I'm just flat-out insane. This is also entirely speculation, as I have no evidence to back this up, but makes for an interesting discussion nonetheless.

First off, let me explain to you that I am a die-hard New York Jets fan; I have been a fan of this magnitude for 21 years. I have endured the seasons of turmoil, heartbreak, and pure excitement (more seasons concerning the former, but you guys do not need to be reminded of that). Hate is a very strong word, but I have a rather large dislike for the New England Patriots. Not only because their head coach decided to 'resign as HC' of our beloved 'NYJ', but the fact that he wrote it on a napkin (a NAPKIN...) and handed it off to our owner across the dinner table as if it was no big deal. I have lived the greater part of my life watching Tom Brady beat the Jets time and time again, and will be of the many Jets fans to celebrate his, as well as Bill Belichick's retirement from the National Football League.

With hope now distilled in our franchise with Sam Darnold, we can at least dream of better days to come post Brady/BB. The real question is....when is Tom Brady actually going to retire? This is the question that people have discussed for a half-decade. The 1st theory I have had for a while is that Brady/BB will both go out at the same time (whenever that is). This theory was indicated after the Jimmy Garropolo trade last year, as Tom Brady now has no viable successor. There is a good chance BB will not want to be the HC with Brian Hoyer as his QB (cue the Matt Cassel arguments), so now it brings us back to when both will actually retire.

Brady has said this year that he wants to play until he's 'at least 45' years old. But, even with another solid season under his belt (albeit not vintage Brady), I believe that father time is finally starting to catch up with him, and he knows it. To me, it seems as if he is trying to get the ball out quicker this year as he is afraid of getting injured by 300-pound men chasing him (and rightly so). My 2nd theory is not based on whether he will want to play next year if they lose (he most certainly will want to play, he is as competitive as they come, and he still put together a solid year). It is based on the speculation that after he wins his 6th Super Bowl, my hunch is that this will be the perfect opportunity to go out on top like his fellow legend QB, Peyton Manning. He will have nothing left to prove, only to cement his status as the greatest QB to ever play the game. He will have a long talk with Gisele, and she will be the one to convince him to finally hang up the cleats. With Tom Brady now retired, BB will follow as he realizes he also has nothing left to prove as the greatest coach of all time and will not want to start over by rebuilding a franchise from the ground up.

That being said, this will be the first time in my life that I will not be rooting for the Patriots to lose in the playoffs. I even think I sound crazy as I'm typing this. Some of you will question my fan-hood, and I honestly don’t blame you. Nevertheless, I have weighed the options of which I would want more, and it came down to the sole fact that I would like to start this new direction of the Jets franchise without Brady/BB as soon as possible. Whether you like it or not, I believe this scenario is the best chance at doing so. I'm tired of being the AFC East punching bag, and I'm willing to come to terms with a Patriots Super Bowl win now for greener pastures in the future. Picture this scenario: they lose in the playoffs this season, both return for another season. Jets play second fiddle. They lose in the playoffs the following year, both return for another season. Rinse, repeat. I, and (hopefully) most of you can envision that happening. Let’s hope it doesn’t.