It wasn’t meant to be like this.
After all Tom Brady has done for the New England Patriots, his last ever pass for the franchise could be a pick-six.
As much as the majority of NFL fans would rejoice and find a certain schadenfreude in his interception, regardless of your level of disdain towards the reigning Super Bowl champions, he is the greatest of all time and it would be a sad end to their dynastic reign.
He’s not retiring, that much is clear from his Instagram, but Brady is out of contract. With lots of talk regarding the future of the quarterback and Offensive Coordinator, Josh McDaniels, this is the closest we have ever come to TB12 moving on.
But where could he go? Here are five teams who could use Tom Brady in 2020.
New England Patriots
You always want to go out on your own terms. Throwing an interception to a former player as your last play will not sit right with the future Hall of Famer. Especially coming in the Wild Card round.
If a contract can be agreed, upgrades at the receiver position guaranteed and motivation from both sides, there is a strong case for Brady spending one more year at Foxborough.
Ideally, they would draft the heir to the throne and let him learn under the veteran before they finally let the King on the AFC East depart – with a seventh ring.
Los Angeles Chargers
Philip Rivers is also a free agent ahead of next season and his time on the West Coast looks to be up. If the Bolts don’t fancy any of the QBs in the draft, they could try and tempt Brady to the warmer climate, which would be a much more relaxed way to finish the rest of his career.
Yes, the Offensive Line needs work, but the skill positions are stacked on both sides of the ball. Brady will love throwing to Keenan Allen and in Austin Ekeler he has a ready-made James White replacement.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 17: Jacoby Brissett #7 of the Indianapolis Colts looks at the defensive coverage before a snap during the third quarter of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 17, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
Indianapolis Colts
Everything seemed to be in place for Frank Reich’s side to make a playoff run in 2019. The defence showed how much it had improved last season, and the OL, with Quenton Nelson, made Andrew Luck one of the safest QBs in the NFL.
Yet, his sudden retirement set the Colts back and although there were moments of excellence, Jacoby Brissett is not the long-term answer.
If you are looking for a team who is in a win-now situation, the AFC South side are as close as anyone, they just need a quarterback. It’s almost the perfect match-up.
Chicago Bears
In 2017, the Monsters of the Midway decided not to draft either Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson, and traded up to pick Mitchell Trubisky instead. A decision which will forever be hard to shake off.
Led by Khalil Mack, the Bears defence is good enough now to win the Super Bowl, but the offence is lagging behind. Give Brady the likes of Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller out wide and Tarik Cohen and David Montgomery in the back field, anything is possible.
For one year only, the owners in Chicago might be willing to stump up the cash to try and convince the 42-year-old to join them in the Windy City.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – AUGUST 29: Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up before a NFL preseason game at AT&T Stadium on August 29, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Wait, wait, hear me out…
It’s outrageous, but when you break it down, it’s not as crazy as it sounds.
The Bucs say goodbye to Jameis Winston after his 30/30 season and they give Mike Evans and Chris Godwin – two of the most exciting WRs in the league – the greatest QB of all time.
You add in two promising tight end targets and potential at running back with Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones II and they begin to look like contenders to challenge the New Orleans Saints.
On the other side of the ball, you have one of the best run defences in the league, giving you a franchise with a huge upside.
Yes, they have possibly the ugliest uniforms in the NFL, but think about the warm weather and it’s the perfect retirement home.
He could even hang out with Robert Kraft the next time the Pats owner is down in West Palm Beach…. Err, maybe not.
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