The Big Lead

3 Most Likely Free Agent Destinations for Tom Brady Other Than the Patriots

By William Pitts

Tom Brady in a Patriots uniform perhaps for the final time
Tom Brady in a Patriots uniform perhaps for the final time / Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
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With the New England Patriots' loss to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Wild Card game, quarterback Tom Brady has been placed in a position he has never faced in his twenty-year NFL career. Brady is set to become an unrestricted free agent, opening up the possibility that he may finish his career outside of Foxboro.

After the game, Brady all but eliminated the possibility of retirement, saying that it was "pretty unlikely." This leaves only the question of where he will play in 2020.

1. Los Angeles Chargers
Bart Scott advocated for this himself on ESPN's Get Up. It makes perfect sense for both parties. After all, Tom Brady lives in Southern California during the off-season. It would also be beneficial for the struggling Chargers, who couldn't get much out of Philip Rivers this season, and could desperately use Brady's star power to fill seats, if only for one season, as they move into brand-new SoFi Stadium.

2. Indianapolis Colts
Despite a promising start, the Colts went into a 2-7 skid to miss the playoffs, and are now openly questioning whether Jacoby Brissett - once Brady's backup in New England - is really the long-term solution in Indianapolis. While the 42-year-old Brady can't really be defined as a "long-term solution" himself, the Colts would give him some weapons to work with, including wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (sidelined by injuries for much of 2019), tight end Eric Ebron, and running back Marlon Mack. They also have the cap space to offer Brady something big.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If we take Bruce Arians at his word, the Buccaneers might be ready to put the Jameis Winston era behind them. Unfortunately, Tampa played just well enough that a top college quarterback like Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa (assuming he declares) or Justin Herbert might be out of reach in the draft, so a quick free agent fix such as Tom Brady may be in order. If nothing else, the sunshine of Tampa and the guidance of quarterback whisperer Bruce Arians might be enough to lure Brady over for at least a season.