For the first time in a generation, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft enters an offseason not sure who will be his team's starting quarterback, but he said he'd like for it to still be Tom Brady.
"My hope and prayer is No. 1, he [Brady] play for the Patriots. Or No. 2, he retires," Kraft told NBC Sports' Peter King before the Patriots' wild-card loss on Saturday. "He has the freedom to decide what he wants to do and what's in his own best personal interest."
Brady, 42, who is scheduled to become a free agent for the first time in his career on March 18, said after Saturday night's loss to the Tennessee Titans that retirement was "pretty unlikely" and "hopefully unlikely."
With all options on the table, however, Kraft said he hopes he doesn't see Brady end his career in another jersey, but he knows the quarterback wouldn't be the first future Hall of Famer to spend his last seasons playing for a different team.
"I'm thinking of all that, of all the quarterbacks who went elsewhere, and I just hope and believe that Tom ... he is so special that he's earned the right to do what's best for him. ... But I just hope and pray we fit into his plans," Kraft said.