Tom Brady’s rough 2022 season ended with a whimper on Monday as his Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round, a 31-14 loss that exposed the Bucs’ weaknesses on both sides of the ball.
And after a year in which it looked like the 45-year-old actually looked his age, everyone’s wondering: What’s next for the GOAT? Does he play another down in the NFL? Does he stay in Tampa? Will he give it yet another go with a different team in 2023?
We don’t know the answers to any of that. But let’s assume for this post that he might want to play again next season. So let’s run through some possible spots for him and rank them:
7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Let’s get this out of the way: The Bucs were pretty mediocre last year. If Brady’s coming back, he might want to latch on with a team that’s more of a contender than this one.
6
Tennessee Titans
Meh. It might be fun to play for his old pal Mike Vrabel, but other than that? Are the Titans really contenders with Brady around and a lack of receiving options beyond Treylon Burks?
I just don’t know.
5
Las Vegas Raiders
Again: We’re talking about an uneven team, although this one is coached by his buddy Josh McDaniels, but would they be contenders with Brady aboard? Doubtful.
4
New England Patriots
Hmm. HMMM. HMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!
The Pats may not feel Mac Jones is the future. And if anyone can take this version of Brady and maximize his potential, it’s Bill Belichick. I don’t think this will happen given all their history and the fallout from Brady leaving. But weirder things have happened.
3
New York Jets
Don’t laugh. The Jets have a feisty young defense and some firepower on offense. All they need is a decent QB. Brady could fit the mold, and maybe playing in New York (and getting to stick it to the Pats twice next year) is enticing.
2
Miami Dolphins
OK, so: This would assume that Mike McDaniel would rather have Brady than Tua Tagovailoa, or that Tagovailoa may not be healthy enough to play in 2023.
It’s an intriguing option because the Fins would be contenders, almost as much as the next team.
1
San Francisco 49ers
Of course. The California kid who rooted for this team comes in to try to win the franchise its first title in decades. What a story!
Given that the Niners appear to be able to win with ANYONE at quarterback — although, hey, maybe they unearthed a Tom Brady-like story of their own with Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy — perhaps they don’t need Brady at the helm to win a Super Bowl.
But if the opening is there and the Niners are interested? I think this would be his best option. And guess who his backup would be? Jimmy G, again!
