With the New Englands Patriots‘ season over and Tom Brady’s contract up, it didn’t take long for speculation of where he’ll play in 2020 to run rampant. It’s not often that one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time would hit the open market at 42 years old, but it’s looking like that’s what Brady’s about to do. While his upside is very limited thanks to his age, there’s no doubt he’s still one of the 20 best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Even if the Patriots don’t re-sign him immediately, it seems unlikely they won’t eventually bring him back. They haven’t groomed a successor yet and there are few players who mean more to a franchise than what Brady means to New England. Former star NFL player for the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers Charles Woodson isn’t buying the hype that Brady could leave.
Woodson and Brady go way back. They played college football together at Michigan and the “Tuck Rule Game” left their fates intertwined forever. It’s doubtful that Woodson knows for sure what Brady is going to do, but he definitely knows the quarterback better than a lot of people.
Who Could Be Interested in Brady?
If there was ever a player who had nothing left to prove, it’s Brady. He’s won more Super Bowls than any other quarterback and was one of the main contributors in the most dominant dynasties in sports history. He’s got all the money in the world and a family. However, it seems like he’s not ready to retire just yet.
“I personally appreciate everything [the fans] contributed over the course of many years and I’m just very grateful for the experience of playing this year for this team and over the course of my career too,” said Brady following Sunday’s playoff loss. “I appreciate it, I’ve always tried to do the right thing out there but who knows what the future holds, we’ll leave it at that…”
If the Patriots don’t decide to bring him back, there could be a number of teams that take a look at him. The Chicago Bears have a playoff roster, but they don’t have a playoff quarterback. Brady may be old, but he’s an upgrade over Mitch Trubisky. There is also the Los Angeles Chargers. They could be willing to move on from Philip Rivers and Brady should be considered an upgrade. He’s from California, so he could want to move back home.
Follow the Heavy Oakland Raiders page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Peter King thinks Raiders will go after Brady
One team you might not think would be a possibility is the Raiders. They have a veteran quarterback in Derek Carr, but some think his time is up with the silver and black. Peter King at NBC Sports seems to think it’s a real possibility.
“My personal darkhorse, by the way: the Las Vegas (nee Oakland) Raiders,” King wrote. “Jon Gruden’s favorite quarterback is always the one he doesn’t have. No clue if he’s remotely interested, but my antennae would be up for the Raiders and Brady.”
It’s true that Jon Gruden has an affinity for veteran quarterbacks, but adding Brady seems unlikely. The Raiders are a very young team and adding a quarterback who will be 43 when the season starts does not make a whole lot of sense. Unless Gruden is planning to draft a quarterback early and wants Brady to hold down the fort for a year, don’t count on seeing the future Hall of Famer in silver and black. Plus, Charles Woodson didn’t seem too keen on the idea.
READ NEXT: Napoleon Kaufman Has Controversial Take on ‘Vegas Raiders’