Of course Tom Brady owes us nothing. He's given us as many sportsgams as any Boston/NE athlete ever, and he's been nothing but a joy to watch.
But even if you just want to focus on him, very few people like to leave on a bad note or do something that feels wrong.
Whatever bad blood exists between him and BB over AG, and whatever else that might have contributed to it, the fact remains that the Pats had on their roster a potential star at QB and traded him because they reasoned, based on Tom's inputs, that Brady was planning to stay for 2-4 more years.
So yeah, it's a free country, and everyone can change their mind. But to walk out now would be to leave the Patriots in a horrible position. And a position that they would not have been in had Tom told him he was going to retire or was even thinking about it. Let me be clear, I am not suggesting that Tom forced out Jimmy, though I guess that's possible. But his information played a role in the decision, and given that, I just don't see him leaving Bob Kraft, his teammates, his coaches, Josh, the fans (the least of it but not irrelevant either) and even Bill in this position. I can't see him allowing that last game, and this mini drama, to be the finale.
I guess you can throw all that out the window if Tom just can't stomach another season with Bill and Bill wont trade him. But it being that far gone strikes me as highly unlikely.
I do think it's entirely possible that 2018 is the last year.
Last: if Bob, Bill and Tom can't fix this crap and get on the same page, and do it fast, shame on all of them. I get it, things sometimes break down. It's been a long time. But these differences strike me as things that adults can and should bridge. They all have too much to lose.