Opinion Editorial
There was an earthquake in California on Sunday. It was caused by a report by Pro Football Talk’s Chris Simms. He reported that the San Francisco 49ers said they’re not interested in quarterback Tom Brady. Were the 49ers ever interested in Brady? I doubt it. I think it was more like wishful thinking from Brady, who grew up in nearby San Mateo.
With that in mind, let’s look at five possible landing spots for the 43-year-old quarterback who has won six Super Bowls with New England.
5. Tom Brady and the San Francisco 49ers
Simms’ report is good enough for me. Besides, I don’t think the 49ers ever had any strong interest. They’ve got a good team and a solid (and much younger) quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo. Why interrupt things for a year, maybe two, tops?
4. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yes, Rick Stroud had a big report in the Tampa Bay Times that said the Buccaneers are going to go all-in on Brady. I don’t doubt the report. Stroud’s a veteran with good sources. But I doubt the flip side. Would Brady go all-in with Tampa? That’s another story.
Unlike West Coast teams, there’s no geographical tie between Brady and the Buccaneers. Besides, Brady has won big throughout his career. Why would he want to come to a team that’s perpetually bad?
3. Tom Brady and the Los Angeles Chargers
Remember, Brady is a California guy. Los Angeles is his kind of town. It’s also the kind of town for his wife, international supermodel Gisele Bundchen. Besides that, think of this from a Charger’s perspective. They play second fiddle to the Los Angeles Rams in L.A. and are moving into a new stadium this season. The Chargers need to sell tickets and there’s no one with more firepower than Brady.
2. Tom Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders
Coach Jon Gruden has said Derek Carr is his quarterback repeatedly. I’m not saying Gruden is a liar, but he has been known to bluff before. Gruden views himself as the best quarterback coach in the league. Put him together with the best quarterback the league has ever seen? That could be too tempting for Gruden. And, remember, Las Vegas also is building a new stadium and the Raiders need to sell tickets.
1. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots
Brady has been with coach Bill Belichick for 20 years and it appears as if their relationship has grown stale. But, keep in mind, owner Robert Kraft ultimately calls the shots and he adores Brady. There’s one other thing to keep in mind. None of us know how long the coronavirus lingers through the offseason and wipes out official team activities and minicamps. It could be a situation where there is only time for a week or two of training camp. But if you’re him, don’t you want to be in an offense you know better than anyone rather than trying to pick up an entirely new offense on the fly?
Pat Yasinskas is an editorial consultant and occasional columnist for Bucs Report. He has covered the NFL since 1993 and has won many awards. Pat has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer, ESPN and Street & Smith’s magazine. He also has been a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He currently is a freelance writer based in Tampa.