For the first time since he entered the NFL as a sixth round pick in 2000, Tom Brady is set hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
Brady, a six-time Super Bowl champion, four-time Super Bowl MVP, and three-time NFL MVP, is arguably the greatest football player to ever walk the earth. The only comparable player in recent history to hit the open market is Peyton Manning, who was coming off major neck surgery when he hit free agency.
Brady’s future will be the talk of the offseason — at least until he decides on where he will play in 2020. On that note, I have ranked the potential outcomes of Brady’s impending free agency from least likely to most likely.
Here’s what I came up with:
5. Signs with Dallas Cowboys
Despite the recent rumors that have been circulating, there is very little chance this scenario even comes close to coming to fruition.
The Cowboys reportedly are all-in on locking up Dak Prescott for the long-term. Most insiders around the league expect them to have a deal in place with Prescott well before free agency opens in March.
4. Signs with Tennessee Titans
The connection here is simple: Brady was a longtime teammate of Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel.
The Titans were the team that knocked the Pats out of the Playoffs this year, which means they are obviously talented enough to give Brady a chance to compete for championships right away (assuming they re-sign Jack Conklin and Derrick Henry). As it stand now, though, the Titans’ receivers aren’t much of an upgrade over the group Brady had in New England in 2019.
Oh yeah, and there’s also the Ryan Tannehill factor. With the way Tannehill played after taking over for Marcus Mariota, it’s hard to see the Titans wanting to move on from him in 2020.
3. Signs with Las Vegas Raiders
Brady-to-the-Raiders gained some serious momentum after reports surfaced that Brady had purchased real estate in Nevada (the report has since been refuted). That news came days after photos of Brady with Raiders owner Mark Davis at UFC 246 in Las Vegas appeared on social media.
All of this led to the Raiders emerging as the top non-Patriots candidate to land Brady on the betting markets. Despite all of the connections and the appeal of playing in Las Vegas’ glitzy new stadium, I just don’t see this one happening.
2. Signs with Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have officially moved on from Philip Rivers and in my eyes, they are the most likely landing spot for Brady if he does indeed part ways with the Patriots.
The Chargers have everything in place (excellent offensive weapons and a top-tier defense) to be attractive to Brady, and they will be playing in a brand new, (multi) billion dollar stadium starting this fall. On top of that, Brady, a California native, would stand to benefit greatly when it comes to off the field endorsement and career opportunities in the L.A. market.
1. Re-signs with New England Patriots
With each passing day, it’s looking more and more like Brady will finish his career right where he started it: With the New England Patriots. The Pats will have to prove to Brady that they are committed to adding offensive weapons and rebuilding the roster around him (which may push Bill Belichick out of his comfort zone a little bit), but reports are floating around that they are willing to commit to pay the 42-year-old quarterback in excess of $30 million per year on his next contract.
The most likely scenario in my eyes is one where Brady gives the Patriots a hometown discount (we all know him and his supermodel wife aren’t hurting for money), allowing them to target multiple playmakers in free agency to rebuild and re-tool their offense.
Sidenote: The Patriots are the heavy betting favorites to be Brady’s 2020 team.
