In a series of posts on Instagram, quarterback Tom Brady announced that he would not be returning to the New England Patriots.
With the announcement, Brady said he wasn’t sure of which team he would be signing with yet, but all rumors circulating has involved the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Chargers (it’s still weird to say that) and the Indianapolis Colts. The Bucs are the prohibited betting favorite, as their young core of stud wide receivers give Brady the perfect opportunity to prolong his career.
The Chargers similarly have young offensive weapons, as well as a powerful defense, and the team is located in Los Angeles (because team location and markets have an impact on free agency signings). The Colts are the only confusing one, as their team isn’t good enough to be a championship contender, but Brady has been linked to the organization.
In his 20 years with the Patriots, Brady won six Super Bowls in nine total appearances, being named MVP of four. He was a 14-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro, three-time MVP and won 17 AFC East titles. Brady is currently second all-time in passing yards and passing touchdowns, winning 77% of the games he started, being regarded by many as the greatest quarterback ever.
It will be weird to see Brady in a different uniform, especially if he’s on a losing team.
In other NFL free agency news, the Houston Texans traded Deandre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals for David Johnson and a second-round pick. The Texans entered the day without a first-round pick in this years’ draft, traded Hopkins, and still have no first-round pick.
The contract for Johnson alone is a question mark, as the running back was paid on the promise of his career, and not the actual production. He is an injury prone player, while Hopkins is one of the highest producing receivers of this generation. Johnson’s contract will be a cap hit of roughly $18 million over the next two seasons.
