Tom Brady is currently slated to be a free agent in March, so where might he land next season?
The annual “how long will be play?” question will come regarding Tom Brady until he retires, but looking to this offseason there’s an added layer. His contract will void, and he will be a free agent when the new league year starts in March. The Patriots also can’t place any sort of tag on him (franchise, transition, etc.) in an effort to firmly control his rights.
The idea of Brady playing anywhere other than New England, and for a coach other than Bill Belichick, feels far-fetched and from most perspectives it very much is. But plenty of NFL legends have ended their careers in a uniform other than the one they’re best known for, and if the winds of change ramp up in Foxboro Brady may seriously weigh his options as a free agent.
To this point Brady has been a notable exception to Belichick’s way of doing business, as he has defied the age/decline curve, but the way he has looked for much of this season at 42 years old is a cause for concern. Said struggles can also be chalked up to a thin supporting cast that has been weakened by injuries at times.
As the Patriots exit the playoffs, early or perhaps very late as you read this, talk about Brady’s future can now take center stage.
Where might the six-time Super Bowl winner and four-time Super Bowl MVP land for the 2020 season? Here are five possibilities.
5. Retirement
Each time the Patriots have won the Super Bowl recently, the possibility Brady would decide to ride off into the sunset has been there. His wife Gisele Bundchen has occasionally been open publicly about her desire to have him quit playing, and a seventh Super Bowl win may have him join her on that boat. As it sits right now Brady has nothing left to prove, other showing the world he can play until he’s 45.
Outside of a torn ACL that cost him most of the 2008 season, Brady has notably avoided major injury during his career and he seems to enjoy the preparation grind more than most players. But if the Patriots have added another ring this year, calling it a career is a real possibility.