For those of you who have been hiding under a rock for the past few weeks, Tom Brady is about a week away from entering free agency for the first time in his career.
Brady, whose name is known by people who aren’t even fans of football, has been one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the history of the game. His name is on the top of many people’s list of the best to ever play, and he has played his entire career with the New England Patriots. With the Patriots, he has earned three regular season MVP awards, three first-team All-Pro appearances, four Super Bowl MVP’s, and six championship rings.
Brady is getting older, and will be 43 when the next season starts. Even so, there are plenty of teams who could be interested in landing the star quarterback if he decides to leave the Boston area.
New England Patriots
We believe this to be the most likely event. Brady is getting closer to retirement, and that is just a fact. He can still play, sure, but how much longer does he have in him? After the disappointing loss to the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs this past season – a game that ended with a Brady pick-six – we definitely have to wonder how much gas he has in the tank. And if he is getting close to retiring, why wouldn’t he want to stay and retire with the team he has had so much success with?
Beyond just that thought, the Patriots have always been his team. He is an icon in Boston and across the country. You can’t think about the Patriots without thinking of Brady. We just can’t see him wanting to leave New England unless he absolutely has to. If the Patriots can offer him enough money, even if it’s not as much as other teams, we can see him staying easily. It just makes too much sense.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have been in this eternal funk of being on the precipice of greatness, but continually falling short. And now, they are about to part ways with their own franchise quarterback, Philip Rivers. Being in the hunt for someone with talent in the position, Brady could be their first option.
They will have to do some work to make the offer enticing to Brady. Beyond just money, they’ll need to bolster their offensive line. At 43, Brady can’t spend his time running from defensemen and getting sacked. He will need a line that can block for him and give him the time he needs to get the ball out.
But the Chargers do have the rising running back star, Austin Ekeler, and can spend money to bring back tight end, Hunter Henry. They’ll have to work some money around as their star linebacker, Joey Bosa, is on the last year of his rookie contract and they will certainly want to retain him. It’s going to take some money wizardry to make everyone happy.
But what the Chargers can offer Brady is a fresh start in a place he has already called home. Brady grew up in San Mateo, California, and his family already owns a home in Los Angeles. The prospect of finishing his career in his home, being a new face to really draw in fans, and putting the Chargers back on the map, might just be enough to get Brady to make the move.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are in the same division as the Chargers, which makes this scenario even more enticing. A race between two division rivals trying to land the hottest QB on the market would surely be fun to watch.
The Raiders are moving to Vegas after decades in Oakland, they are coming off of several disappointing seasons after making the playoffs in 2016, and are looking to make a big splash as they move to a new city.
Their current quarterback, Derek Carr, has struggled as of late and they could be looking for a new start. They have some promising young players who they are looking to develop on both sides of the ball, and having an experienced veteran like Brady be the one to help develop them would be an ideal situation.
The Raiders are an iconic – if not infamous – team, and Brady could be looking at becoming the new face of the team as they make a huge move. Vegas could be just the place for Brady to go to and add an even bigger buzz around the team.
Tennessee Titans
Yes, Brady could be pulled a Kevin Durant. The only difference is, Brady already won championships and doesn’t need to piggyback off of others’ success to get a ring.
Durant-bashing aside, the Titans are a team that is right on the verge of greatness. Their defense proved to be scary last season, their running game being led by Derrick Henry is powerful, and their receiving corp is getting better.
The Titans made waves these past playoffs by beating both the Patriots and the red-hot Baltimore Ravens AT HOME. Their defense shut down Brady and the reigning MVP, Lamar Jackson, on their home fields, and made it all the way to the AFC Championship.
It was an incredible run, and one that showed the Titans are a team close to putting it all together. While Ryan Tannehill did impress in the playoffs, his prior record may be enough to make the organization think they need to go a different direction, and that direction could be Brady. He saw, first hand, how close the Titans are to being contenders and if he wants to go somewhere else, he could look forward to a lot more winning in Tennessee. Not to mention, the current coach for the team is a former teammate of Brady’s, making the relationship already a good one.
We don’t think Brady will leave New Englad, in all likelihood. It’s just makes too much sense for him to stay in Boston and finish out his career. But there are enticing offers from other teams that could sway him.
We won’t know what will happen until free agency opens up next week, but Tom Brady is absolutely the hottest possibility to keep our eyes on!
