‘Complete disaster’ to avoid; Bucs’ ‘uncomfortable’ reality: Where will Brady play next?

“I’m going go home and get a good night’s sleep, as good as I can tonight,” Brady said, once again stressing there is no timetable on a final decision.

“This has been all I’ve focused on, this game. It’ll just be one day at a time. Truly.”

But already the discussion has moved on to where Brady could end up next season if he does decide to go around again. Here, foxsports.com.au looks at the likely landing spots.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Yeah, look, it’s going to take a miracle for Brady to stay at the Bucs given the way their season ended on Tuesday.

At this stage it seems unlikely Brady is at Tampa Bay next season unless the front office finds a way to convince him that things will be different.

After all, the 45-year-old can’t afford to waste another year and as much as he was able to pull off a few miracles during the regular season, Tampa Bay was just too far off from genuinely contending for the title.

The Bucs went all in a few years ago to land Brady in the first place and would have to do similar this time around to prove they are still an attractive destination.

Complicating matters though is the state of the roster, with 26 players set to become free agents once the post-season rolls around according to spotrac.com, the exact kind of instability Brady doesn’t need when making such a big call on his future.

As WFLA Bucs insider Dan Lucas said earlier this month, there is more to Brady’s decision than a simple question of whether he wants to keep playing football or not.

“Obviously he wants to be somewhere that’s competitive and has a chance to win a championship,” Lucas said.

“The issue goes beyond Brady, as far as the Bucs are concerned, they have to deal with this salary cap thing head-on. They’ve got some contracts coming up, some very uncomfortable conversations coming up with guys like Lavonte David.

“They’re going to have to move some money around and I think that Tom Brady would like to have some assurance that things are either going to be status quo with his guys or even bigger things are going to be in play for him.”

Combine that level of roster uncertainty with Tampa Bay’s early playoffs exit and the Buccaneers have plenty of ground to cover if they are going to run it back with Brady again.

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

Well, we know for certain that Derek Carr won’t be the quarterback next season and it’s not like the Raiders are going to turn to Brady’s former backup in Jarrett Stidham.

Las Vegas made a big swing for Davante Adams last offseason but it did not lead to immediate success, with the Raiders instead missing the playoffs entirely.

Unlike the Vikings, who were kings of clutch games, the Raiders consistently wilted under pressure.

Las Vegas blew multiple double-score leads and just couldn’t find ways to win close games, that is unless the opposition was trying a bizarre lateral play in the dying seconds of regulation.

Brady wouldn’t fix all of the Raiders’ problems in tight games, with a desperate need to upgrade the defence in the offseason, but he will certainly help.

From reuniting with Josh McDaniels to having a superstar wideout like Adams to connect with, there are clear selling points for Brady too.

NFL analyst Albert Breer recently said “unequivocally” that “it is a fact” that the Raiders are looking into signing Brady, although he added that Jimmy Garoppolo is another target.

Brady though would be the clear first-choice option and moving on Carr via trade will also open up enough space for the Raiders to go after the Buccaneers quarterback.

The Raiders also almost signed both Brady and Gronkowski back in 2020 according to UFC boss Dana White, who said last year that it was “almost a done deal” until former Raiders coach Jon Gruden allegedly “blew the deal up”.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

It may make you feel warm and fuzzy but it seems like the entire NFL world is in agreement on this one. Don’t do it, Tom.

The Patriots aren’t any closer to finding a Brady replacement, with Mac Jones yet to take the necessary leap that proves he is the long-term option. Bailey Zappe, meanwhile, would be a step backwards and admission of just how far things have fallen at New England.

Now there is merit to the argument that the Patriots’ uninspiring playcalling under Matt Patricia has held Jones back from developing as a passer, something Colin Cowherd argued back in December on Fox Sports’ ‘The Herd’.

“Mac Jones’ regression is not a reflection on Mac Jones,” Cowherd said at the time.

“It is a reality check on where the Patriots are as a franchise. All their talent, all their brainpower is on the defensive side of the ball. Again, half their throws at one point during the game were behind the line of scrimmage.

“Arizona’s defensive coordinator this week, and it wasn’t a jab, said, ‘they coach offence like a defensive guy’s calling it. They’re really safe.’”

Adding Brady will fix some things but it’s certainly not going to solve all the Patriots’ problems, something NFL writer Sheil Kapadia also said late last year.

In fact, Kapadia went as far as to claim it would be a “complete disaster for everyone involved” while speaking on The Ringer’s ‘Extra Point Taken’ podcast.

“To just think quarterback is their issue is nuts to me,” he said.

“To think Tom Brady could go to this team, where the offensive line has been up and down, where they do not have weapons comparable to any really good team in the NFL… to me it’s a terrible idea.

“It would be a nostalgic move… but I think it would end poorly for everyone involved.”

The Patriots would love Brady back but it’s unlikely the feeling is mutual. If Bill Belichick makes a quarterback change, adding a veteran like Jimmy Garoppolo through free agency makes more sense for both parties. Even if that happens, would Jones want to stick around?

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

This one makes plenty of sense, although the 49ers may need to decide whether they actually need Brady to stay in Super Bowl contention.

After all, they’re getting the job done at the moment with rookie seventh-round quarterback Brock Purdy. Although if San Francisco was to get to the Super Bowl this season with Purdy under centre, there is plenty to be said about giving him a year to develop under Brady.

It would mean the 49ers could both compete in the short-term and build for the future too by not putting too much pressure on Purdy, who would instead learn from the best in the game.

Of course, then San Francisco would need to consider what a Brady move would mean for Jimmy Garoppolo and, more importantly, Trey Lance.

At this stage it looks unlikely Garoppolo, an unrestricted free agent after the season, will be elsewhere given there will be plenty of rival interest in a quarterback of his experience.

As for Lance, the 49ers invested a lot in their third overall pick from the 2021 draft, packaging three first-round picks to select him. Would they be willing to part ways this soon, without having the best idea of just how good he could be?

At least the 49ers now have two quarterbacks on rookie contracts, which gives them plenty of cap flexibility to work with should they not go after Brady and instead have Purdy and Lance compete for the top gig.

Should they fall short this post-season though, the temptation will be there to make the best decision to capitalise on their championship window right now. That involves getting Brady.

“Even though they twice rejected him, it might make sense for the 49ers to swallow hard and see if the seven-time champion can get them to a Super Bowl and win it,” Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times wrote in December.

“Their roster is loaded with the NFL’s top defence and tons of speed, a commitment to running the football, and a good offensive line.

“Also, don’t underestimate what playing near his home in San Mateo, California, would mean to Brady, as well as becoming part of the 49ers’ quarterback legacy with Joe Montana and Steve Young.”

NEW YORK JETS

There is plenty to like at the Jets. That is, except for their current quarterback situation. Brady would change that.

Zach Wilson clearly isn’t the answer and will be playing as back-up next season, regardless of who gets brought in. The same goes for Mike White, who is a dependable fill-in but doesn’t elevate the team.

The talent is there on both sides of the ball and while the offensive line could do with some upgrades, adding Brady would immediately lift the Jets into genuine contender status.

Breece Hall was electric before going down with a season-ending knee injury while rookie receiver Garrett Wilson clearly has big-play ability if paired with the right quarterback.

Then on the defensive end you had Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, the cornerback duo who routinely shut down opposing receivers. If there is one thing that will make Brady’s life easier it’s playing for a top defensive unit and the Jets are just that.

Then there is the opportunity to not just beat Bill Belichick and the Patriots twice but end the Jets’ losing streak against his former team in the process. Brady has already achieved so much in his career but if there is any way to add to his legacy, winning a Super Bowl with the Jets is it.

It would cost a lot but it would be worth it and the Jets wouldn’t necessarily need to sacrifice their future to do it either given Brady is only after a short-term deal.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Really, the only chance the Saints have here is if former Super-Bowl winning coach Sean Payton agrees to finally team up with Brady.

It could happen, given Payton had previously been linked to the Rams or Chargers but it looks like neither of those jobs will be available next season.

That is despite the spotlight intensifying on Brandon Staley’s coaching credentials after the Chargers’ 27-point capitulation against the Jaguars. Add in his decision to play his starters in a meaningless Week 18 game and there were suggestions Staley could take a backseat as the team’s defensive coordinator.

But instead Staley will return as Chargers head coach next season, with Joe Lombardi instead fired as offensive coordinator. So, could Payton and Brady link up at New Orleans?

It seems unlikely, at least according to Payton himself.

He said earlier in the year that while he does see a scenario where he could be working with Brady it would be on TV.

“There’s too many variables in that equation,” Payton told NFL Network’s Peter Schrager.

“If we worked together … I’m going to predict there’s a good chance if we work together, it’ll be with Fox.”

It would be tricky for the Saints to find a way to sign Brady anyway given they have the least salary cap space in the league next season, already exceeding the cap by over $53 million.

MIAMI DOLPHINS

They were the team that went after Brady when he first became available during the 2020 offseason. Could Miami be in the market for a quarterback again?

It is a delicate situation at the moment for the Dolphins, who made a strong start to the season behind Tua Tagovailoa. The 24-year-old was playing at an MVP-calibre level under coach Mike McDaniel, that was until multiple concussions would bring his best-ever season to an early close.

“It becomes a strange tension point between player and team,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote last week.

“Tua, who has played very well this year when he has played, will likely want to keep playing. The fact that he will have gone three weeks without playing following his latest concussion shows how delicate the question will be in the coming months.

“It also suggests that the organisation possibly has decided that Tua’s time in South Florida has ended.”

As Florio went on to point out, Tagovailoa is set to earn $4.738 million in 2023, the final year of his rookie deal. It wouldn’t cost a lot to keep him, even if it was as a back-up.

But at the same time given the level he was playing at when healthy, if Tagovailoa does keep playing the Dolphins should be able to get a decent trade package for a quarterback of his calibre.

It all depends on whether Miami would be interested in Brady. Florio is hearing that it is a possibility.

Writing last week, Florio reported that a source “with general knowledge of the various dynamics regarding all things Brady” believes a Dolphins switch is “definitely on the table”.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter though, reported that Miami will be sticking with Tagovailoa next season and general manager Chris Grier echoed that at his season-ending press conference.

“Talking to doctors, we fully expect him back next year 100 percent,” Grier said, although the Miami GM refused to clarify whether the Dolphins would exercise Tagovailoa’s 2024 fifth-year option by the May 1 deadline or offer him a multi-year contract.

“Everything is on the table for us,” he added.

McDaniel was similarly strong after Monday’s defeat to the Bills, telling reporters he would be a “fool” to not “embrace” Tagovailoa when healthy.

“You guys know how I feel about Tua, and that hasn’t changed at all,” McDaniel said.

“I think we all see him as the leader of this team when it’s appropriate for him to lead the team and will jump on that opportunity. He’s a great player with only improvement in front of him.”

TENNESSEE TITANS

The Titans have plenty of options at quarterback already. None of them have done enough though to warrant absolute confidence from the front office as the clear starter next season.

Ryan Tannehill is the obvious first-choice option at the moment but there are better alternatives hitting free agency, headlined by Brady.

Trading or waiving Tannehill after June could save the Titans $27 million off their cap for next season, with that figure dropping down to $17 million should a move be made before then.

Running it back with Malik Willis or Joshua Dobbs certainly is not the solution, at least if the Titans want to contend for a playoff spot next season.

Tannehill though has still looked good when healthy and there are lots of problems elsewhere, starting with the offensive line and lack of depth at at wide receiver. Then there is the question of who takes over as new offensive coordinator.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport mentioned the Titans as one team that is expected to have interest in Brady in free agency, adding that Tennessee has “some quarterback questions”.

Brady’s connection with former teammate and close friend Mike Vrabel would certainly help should the Titans go down that path.