For the first time in his storied career, six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady is going to be a free agent. The 42-year old may not be the same player he once was, but he is still one of the better quarterbacks in the league and should draw a good amount of interest on the open market. Plenty of teams could use an upgrade at quarterback, but which teams are the favorites to add Brady to the roster?
Tom Brady Free Agent Team Fits
New England Patriots
This is the boring answer, but a return to New England makes the most sense for both Brady and the Patriots organization. Despite their relatively underwhelming season, this roster still has plenty of talent and one of the best defenses in the league. The offensive line should be better in 2020 with the return of David Andrews and Bill Belichick will presumably use some of the $49 million in available cap space to upgrade the wide receiver position. It’s going to be hard for Brady to find a better situation than this one, especially considering the fact that Josh McDaniels will probably be back for another season. Unless he lands the Cleveland Browns job, McDaniels will spend another year calling plays for the Patriots.
Belichick never lets emotions get in the way of personnel moves, so he won’t hold on to Brady for sentimentality reasons. However, Brady still represents New England’s best option at quarterback. Former fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham is the only other quarterback on the roster, and he’s probably not the long-term answer under center. The Patriots currently own the 23rd pick in the upcoming draft and probably won’t be able to draft an NFL-ready quarterback. What happens in 2021 is anyone’s guess, but Brady will probably be New England’s starting quarterback for at least one more year. The dynasty isn’t dead quite yet.
Chicago Bears
If Tom Brady leaves New England, the Chicago Bears have to be the favorite to land the 42-year old free agent. Despite missing the playoffs in 2019, this roster is more than capable of competing for a title. The defense is one of the best in the league, the offense boasts a dynamic superstar in Allen Robinson, and Matt Nagy is one of the better offensive minds in the league. The only problem is the quarterback. Mitchell Trubisky is not the answer under center and Trubisky’s shortcomings are singlehandedly holding back the rest of the roster.
Nobody is claiming that Tom Brady is as good as he used to be, but he’s still a dramatic upgrade on Trubisky. Bringing Brady into the fold would elevate the offense and, when paired with one of the better defenses in the league, should make the Bears one of the Super Bowl favorites in 2020.
Indianapolis Colts
The thought of Tom Brady playing for Peyton Manning’s longtime team is strange, but the fit is perfect. The Colts entered 2019 with arguably the best roster in the league and one of the best coaches in football. However, all Super Bowl aspirations took a major hit once Andrew Luck abruptly retired just weeks before the start of the season. Jacoby Brissett did the best he could, but he’s simply not the long-term answer under center. Brady obviously isn’t a long-term answer either, but he provides a better chance of winning in 2020 and gives the Colts enough time to find their quarterback of the future.
The biggest problem with this fit is the wide receivers. Brady spent 2019 throwing to an underwhelming cast of receivers, and Indianapolis doesn’t have much in terms of pass-catching talent. T.Y. Hilton is a genuine stud, but the rest leave a lot to be desired. The Colts would probably have to add someone like A.J. Green in order to tempt Brady into joining his longtime rival.
Los Angeles Chargers
Several analysts around the league have pegged the Los Angeles Chargers as a potential landing spot, but this doesn’t seem to make much sense for Brady or the Chargers. Philip Rivers may be on the way out, but it doesn’t make sense to replace an aging quarterback with an even older quarterback, even if Brady still represents an upgrade on Rivers. The Chargers have a great wide receiver duo in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but they have one of the worst offensive lines in the league. Brady won’t want to play with that type of atrocious protection, especially since he’d have to completely uproot his life and move to the complete opposite side of the country.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger reportedly wants to come back in 2020, but can you really trust a 38-year old quarterback returning from a season-ending elbow injury? If Roethlisberger has a setback or change of heart over the next few months, Tom Brady is a perfect fit for Pittsburgh. Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges are not the future, and the Steelers don’t have a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. With no other way to address the quarterback position, the Steelers should look into adding Brady as a stopgap who will let them compete for the next two or three seasons.
Honorable Mentions: Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins
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