Tom Brady Has Taken Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola To Remote Montana Cabin To Practice Routes
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- We're learning a lot from Peter King's long sitdown interview with Tom Brady. We got some insight into how he engineered that historic Super Bowl comeback, we learned how he managed to remain cordial with Roger Goodell, how he stays so healthy and effective as he approaches 40 years old, and much more.
And sprinkled among the headline-making statements are the occasional nuggets that are fascinating in their own right. And the one shared in King's Wednesday column on the MMQB certainly fits that bill.
King visited Brady at his cabin in Montana, a remote getaway with an exact location that King wasn't allowed to reveal. (It's near the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky.) As you can see from Google Maps, it's not exactly a metropolis.
It's where Brady and his family go to get away from the world ... but apparently, not to get away from football.
From King:
Even here, on a glorious day perfect for skiing, there aren't many people around. It's a good getaway spot because of the beauty and the remoteness and the fact that, when I arrived and was asked what I was doing here, and I said I was here to see Tom Brady, no one had the reaction like, Holy crap, Brady's here? It's the kind of place, way up here, that Brady can bring Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola to throw with, which he has done, and it goes unnoticed.
Obviously, many quarterbacks put in work with their receivers during the offseason. But considering the location of this work, it's just a fascinating concept, the idea that if you want to be a successful receiver in Tom Brady's offense, you'll have to make the occasional trip to the woods of Montana to catch passes from the quarterback in between ski sessions on the luscious fresh powder of Big Sky Country.
And it leads to a whole round of questions. Where did they find a suitable field to run routes? What did they wear? Snowshoes? Down jackets? How many footballs did they have and how did they get them there? Did they stay for a few nights or were they sent back to what must be a tiny airport after they had served their purpose?
(The answer is probably Bobcat Stadium at Montanta State University, which is an hour or so away. But come on, people! Let your imagination have some fun.)
There could probably be a whole story on that dynamic. Alas, King asked Brady about some more pressing topics, such as how long the quarterback will play in the NFL.
It's a question he's answered before, but in the wake of his winning a record fifth Super Bowl and fourth Super Bowl MVP, it's a question worth revisiting as Brady approaches his 40th birthday.
"I'd like to play until my mid-40s. Then I'll make a decision. If I'm still feeling like I'm feeling today, who knows?" Brady told King. "I know next year is not going to be my last year."
Brady did admit that injuries could always change things, and he accepted the reality that not every great player gets to remain on the same team for their entire career.
"That's an impossible question because I don't make those choices," he said when asked if he'll be a Patriot for his entire career. "I don't ever want to play for another coach. I don't want to play for another owner. But this is professional sports. I've seen some of the best players I've ever played with on other teams. I've seen Jerry Rice play for the Raiders, Joe Montana play for the Chiefs, Brett Favre play for a lot of teams. You never know. That's why I want to keep taking care of what I need to take care of. That's what it comes down to. I want to take care of Tom Brady. I want to make sure Tom is available to the team, Tom is playing at a high level, so the team wants to keep him."
Tom has spoken, and Tom wants to stick around for as long as he can.
Danny and Julian might want to get to work on having a travel bag ready for the foreseeable future. Don't forget your mittens.
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
