It was interesting to note today that Drew Bledsoe announced his retirement. It seems like Bledsoe’s performance has been declining over the last few years culminating in a less than stellar year with Dallas. Yet the reality is that he spent eight good years in New England with the Patriots. Brady took over for him after his injury by the Jets and never looked back; however Bledsoe had been doing a reasonably good job with the team prior to his injury. I remember when the injury happened and people wondered whether the Pats were making a mistake by trading Bledsoe to the Bills. In retrospect, it was a good move both Pats and the Bledsoe his starting job had been given to Brady.
One of the things that I will remember about Bledsoe was his quality as a character. So many professional athletes are egotistical and often whine and complain when they do not get enough playing time. Bledsoe handled injury and replacement by Brady as a true professional. He did not spend his time whining or complaining, but rather on the team and how he could help the team to win. He also came during the play offs that year when Brady was injured in the play offs and lead the team to victory versus the Steelers.
Hopefully, Bledsoe will enjoy his retirement.