Getty Tom Brady wants to explore opportunities in free agency.
A common theme throughout Tom Brady’s career has been his willingness to take a pay-cut in order for the Patriots to sign other players and create a balanced roster. Rarely has Brady been the highest-paid player on the team or in the NFL despite performing good enough to deserve such a distinction.
When it comes to predicting his future, Brady isn’t looking for the most lucrative deal or the biggest contract possible. Instead, Brady is looking for a place he can still compete for a Super Bowl title. And this season, although New England had the league’s top defense, Brady’s offensive weapons were far from championship caliber.
During postgame press conferences following several close wins this year, Brady sounded solemn and almost indicated a defeat given how poorly the offense performed on those occasions. So if Brady is to return to New England next year, they’ll have to invest in adding offensive stars and plenty of weapons.
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All About The Supporting Cast
NBC Sports’ NFL writer Peter King, who has reported on Brady since his career began, appeared on Boston radio station WEEI on Thursday to discuss the hot-button topic of the year so far — will Brady be back in a Patriots uniform next season?
King, who met with Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft last week, believes the plan is still to keep Brady in New England. But King’s gut feeling is that it all depends on who he has around him. Via WEEI:
“If you’re asking me to read the tea-leaves on it, I think as important or more important to Tom Brady in 2020 and perhaps in 2021 is the cast that will surround him,” King said. “And I just think — I remember watching the highlights after the Patriots’ win at Buffalo and looking up at Tom Brady after that game talking. He’s talking like his dog just died. It looks like he’s miserable…The point is he has to be realistic about what the Patriots were this year. That is either the worst or one of the two or three worst sets of offensive talent around Tom Brady that he’s had in 19 years as an NFL starter. This is just my feeling, again zero inside information, my gut feeling is that Tom Brady is going to put a premium on what he has around him.”
Where Does Brady Fit in Best?
King went onto compare who the Patriots have to the star-studded offense the Los Angeles Chargers have built. With Philip Rivers also entering free agency and Brady hailing from California, it’s very possible his next and final team is the Chargers.
The Chargers have struggled to build a fanbase since moving out of San Diego and with a thought of playing in a half-full SoFi Stadium next year looming, the team may want to find a way to fill seats. Adding Brady to an already strong roster would be a solution.
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