Adam Humphries says Tom Brady’s age was a factor in picking Titans over Patriots

The Titans made their first of a few splashes on the free agent market this offseason by signing veteran slot receiver Adam Humphries to a four year, 36 million dollar deal. Reports later surfaced that Humphries chose the Titans over an offer from the New England Patriots.

So why would Humphries choose to play with the Titans over the champion Patriots? Well, according to Humphries, it was partially due to Tom Brady’s age.

“Obviously, he’s the G.O.A.T. That’s that simple,” Humphries told Travis Haney of The Athletic. “But there’s so much that factors into a decision. It was a four-year deal. Who knows how many he’s got left? There’s a lot that goes into it.

Brady will be 42 in August as he heads into his 20th NFL season. Humphries instead chose to play in Nashville, with Marcus Mariota as he heads into a pivotal fifth year.

“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,” Humphries continued. “They’d had a taste of the playoffs. I felt like my need at the slot position was great. I felt like I could really contribute and start something new here.”

The Titans’ offense ranked 25th in the league last season in terms of yards. They have promoted tight ends coach Arthur Smith to the offensive coordinator role after Matt LaFleur left to take the Green Bay head coaching job.

Tennessee still managed to go 9-7 in 2018, despite a lingering nerve injury to Mariota and without key player Delanie Walker. Humphries figures to be a big part of the offense in 2019 and beyond, likely manning the slot position and hopefully bringing a touch of consistency to a group that badly needs it. He’s looking to build off of a career year in 2018, which saw him catch 76 passes for 817 yards.