OK, For Real This Time. Where Will Brady Play Next Year?
/
I was planning on writing about one of my new favorite shows today, "Black Monday", which premiered this past Sunday, but a certain QB decided they would be moving on from their current team, and it blew up the sports world this morning. And no, I am not talking about the Colts signing Phillip Rivers just now, which I think is a decent signing.
I'm of course talking about Tom Brady sending a "farewell" message to Patriots fan via, I think, Instagram. He said he wants to "take a new direction at this point in his career", or some nonsense. I wrote on this site, when Brady said he was going to test free agency this offseason, that I would be stunned, and would eat a ton of crow, if he didn't stay in New England. Well, I hope you all have your serving utensils ready because I was very, very wrong.
This, as far as sporting news goes, is stunning. Brady has been with the same team, the same coach, and for the most part, the same offensive coordinator his whole career. He was a late round pick, a back up thrust into action due to injury and turned into the best QB the NFL has ever seen. Yes, while I am not a Patriots fan, Brady is the best QB ever in the NFL. He is the most clutch, driven and has won more than anyone else. He and Belichick and the Patriots are like Bill Russell and Red Auerbach and the Celtics, or like whoever coached the Yankees in the late 90's and early 2000's and Derek Jeter and the Yankees. They were the dynasty. They were the team that was either loved or hated, no in between. They were the Deathstar, and a good amount of that has to do with Tom Brady.
Well, at 42 years old, with pretty much the same team coming back, he has decided that he wants to play elsewhere, and to be honest, I don't get it. I don't get why he is going to leave his situation, his coaches, his comfort for the past almost two decades. Sure, maybe he wants to play somewhere warmer, or throw to some legit wide outs, but still, this is a puzzling move to me. And to see the stories that have come out today, it seems like both sides were ready for this to happen. Brady did his thing, and the Patriots have said what they needed to say, including that they "never intended on resigning him".
So, where does this leave Brady and the Patriots you may be asking? Well, I will try and answer both. Lets look at the Patriots first. I, honestly, don't think this changes much. I assumed Brady would be back, but the team doesn't look much different to me than the most recent season. They have a legitimately elite defense, but their offense is lacking. They have no real run game, the line is shotty and the receivers are just okay. I believe they can win 10 games, even with someone like Jarret Stidham at QB, but they will be an easy out in the playoffs, if they make it. Brady did not look elite last year, and the Patriots got beat, fairly easily I might add, by the Titans in the first round. I could see that happening again. And even if they do go out and try to find a veteran QB, their isn't much left. Rivers, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, they are all off the board. They could choose from guys like Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston, but neither really move the needle, at least in my opinion. The Patriots will be an okay team next year, maybe win 9 or 10 games, but they are done as the dominant dynasty we have seen recently.
As for Brady, like I keep saying, this is a puzzling move. Apparently it is down to two teams, the Buccaneers and Chargers, and I don't see a great fit with either. The Chargers are an okay team, with a solid, and young, defense. But, they are going to lose Melvin Gordon, Hunter Henry is always hurt and Keenan Allen, while super solid, is older and more frail. It might be nice to play in LA, but he will be playing in a half empty stadium, it was empty before Coronavirus was a thing, and the Chargers are an 8 or 9 win team at best. The Patriots and Chargers, assuming Gordon gets traded, are almost mirror images. The Buccaneers are an odd choice, but might be the best of what is left. They have great wide outs, especially Mike Evans, they have a solid enough run game and the O line is competent. They also have a very explosive and athletic tight end. But, they have a so so defense, and their head coach Bruce Arians likes to air the ball out. You may say, well he did great with Carson Palmer, and while I agree, and don't yell at me for saying this, but Palmer has a better arm than Brady. Brady is a better, and smarter QB, but he has never really had the arm to air the ball out, not even at Michigan. I almost feel like him signing with the Bucs would stunt Evans and OJ Howard's growth. I also don't think he could rely on that defense to get enough stops. Yes, they have Shaquille Barrett and Jason Pierre Paul, but who else? Who really moves the needle on that defense for anyone? They gave up tons of points last year, and they will, most likely, do that again this season. And, on a little side note, Brady would look so weird in that jersey. Just, really, really odd. As for any outside teams with a "shot" at Brady, nothing really matches up for me. The Colts would've been good, but they went with Rivers. The Bears, it seems, are looking to add a vet to fight Trubisky for the starting job, and they can't afford Brady anyway. The Dolphins aren't actively trying to win, not just yet. The Titans resigned Ryan Tannehill. And any other team, playoff teams from last year especially, don't need a soon to be 43 year old QB who can't bomb the ball anymore.
This is wild, but I am glad the NFL keeps doing this because it is keeping my mind off the regular world for awhile, and I welcome that any day. Soon Brady will pick his new team, and I write about that when it happens.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.
Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.
SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.