Getty Could Tom Brady sign with the Denver Broncos?
Tom Brady may be facing his last days as a member of the New England Patriots.
As crazy as it may sound and as impossible as it may be to imagine, the 20-year veteran is in the last year of his deal with the Patriots and will be a free agent in 2020.
That means that if the 42-year-old quarterback wants to continue playing in the NFL next season, there’s a good chance he’s likely going to have to look for another destination — which means he’s going to have to sign with another team for the first time in his illustrious career.
So who are the favorites to land Brady if that becomes the case?
There are two teams that are considered likely landing spots for Brady if he does leave New England. While we know that the Los Angeles Chargers have been floated around as a name due to Philip Rivers likely playing his last days as a member of the Chargers, there’s another surprising team out West that’s being named as a possibility — none other than John Elway’s Denver Broncos.
Why Brady Playing for the Broncos Makes Sense
According to Peter King during an interview with Boston sports radio station WEEI, the Broncos are in win-now mode and need a quarterback to complete the puzzle — Brady would obviously be that guy.
Via WoodyPaige.com:
“It’s apparent that they [Denver Broncos] semi-soured on Joe Flacco and he didn’t play very well when he was healthy for Denver. John Elway needs to win right now and so I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened.” King goes onto say that the two most likely homes for Brady if he were to leave would be the Chargers and Broncos.
“Denver would provide him with Mike Munchak who is one of the best offensive line coaches in recent history,” says King. “I would feel comfortable knowing that Munchak would figure it out in a way that would at least get him through a season healthy.”
The Broncos are currently 4-8 entering Week 14 and on the verge of their fourth consecutive non-playoff season since winning the Super Bowl. Since Peyton Manning retired, the Broncos have gone through a litany of different starting quarterbacks, including the likes of Trevor Siemian, Case Keenum and more recently, Joe Flacco.
The Broncos Have Acquired an Aging Quarterback Before
The idea of the Broncos signing Brady seems far-fetched considering Denver is investing a great deal in rookie quarterback Drew Lock, but this wouldn’t be the first time Elway has pulled off a big move for an aging veteran quarterback in an attempt to win a Super Bowl.
He did it with Manning after a young quarterback named Tim Tebow had just led the Broncos to a division title and a playoff victory at the conclusion of the 2011 season. Acquiring Manning led to a Super Bowl title and four straight playoff appearances. Elway wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on a deal if he were to face a similar opportunity in bringing in Brady — the only other quarterback in the NFL with Manning’s type of resume.
As Brady’s dad, Tom Brady Sr. put it, no one would have ever thought that Joe Montana would end his career in a Kansas City Chiefs uniform rather than a San Francisco 49ers one.
That possibility remains very true for the younger Brady if he decides to continue his career into the next decade.