5 Teams Tom Brady Could Play for If He Actually Leaves Patriots

Adam Schefter has been beating the drum all week that Tom Brady could conceivably be getting his ducks in a row to leave the Patriots. I, for one, would be borderline astonished if he plays for another team, but I guess I can also see the angle where as a hyper-competitive being he'd love nothing more than to have success without Bill Belichick. This is the perfect fodder for a wholly essential Internet list, so here are five teams that could make sense if he actually does leave:

Chicago Bears - This may not be the best upgrade from New England for Brady and his family from a city climate perspective, but it's the team out there that is sitting ready to compete for a Super Bowl with a strong quarterback. Mike Golic Jr. broached the topic on Golic & Wingo earlier this week, and there have been worse ideas:

Las Vegas Raiders - The Raiders are opening a new stadium in Las Vegas, Derek Carr is probably somewhere at or slightly below league average at the starting quarterback position, Jon Gruden is a guy who loves to make a splash, and the team is chock full of cap space and the potential to add young talent in the draft. This is probably the best combination of weather, chance to win, and general storyline intrigue for Brady.

Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins have been doing a complete and total rebuild, and it is a real question on if they would be able to compete while Brady still has any gas in the tank. Nevertheless, Miami would be a great place for his family to live, he presumably has some familiarity with Brian Flores from the Patriots facility, and one would think they'd back up the Brinks truck for him.

Tennessee Titans - If he keeps the head coaching job, Mike Vrabel is a former teammate of Brady's. They are another team a little bit like the Bears with a strong defense that is stuck in the mud due to subpar quarterbacking. Nashville may not be a market on the level of Miami, but there are a lot of big football fans in the region and Brady would immediately be regarded as a conquering hero.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - From a market perspective, this is not as ideal as Chicago, Miami, Vegas, or Tennessee (though it beats Chicago in climate). Bruce Arians is reputed as a quarterback whisperer. Mike Evans would arguably be Brady's scariest deep threat receiver since Randy Moss.