The Patriots have been able to remain one of the top teams in the league for a couple of decades, largely based on the presence of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
But with one of them uncertain to remain in New England, the future for the team could get decidedly cloudier.
Former Patriots linebacker and ESPN analyst Rob Ninkovich told Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald that if Brady leaves, it could trigger an exodus of free agents and make it harder to lure new guys in.
“It’s going to be difficult to try and bring everybody back.