Foxboro, Mass. ? The New England Patriots traded Drew Bledsoe to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday after his nine-year career in Massachusetts.

The Pats will get Buffalo’s first-round pick in 2003.

New England had been trying to trade Bledsoe since Tom Brady, a former fourth-stringer who inherited the starting job when Bledsoe was injured, led the team to an improbable 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl on Feb. 3.

“We all knew what the situation was: A football team can have only one starting quarterback,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “In the end, it can only be one guy. … When you put it all together, this is probably best.”

The 30-year-old three-time Pro Bowl selection leaves as the franchise’s top quarterback in completions, attempts and yards for a game, season and career.