His future uncertain for the first time, Tom Brady landing with the Los Angeles Chargers has been speculated upon by many — but will it actually happen?
It’s no secret that the most accomplished NFL quarterback to ever lace up a pair of cleats, Tom Brady, might be on the move from the New England Patriots in 2020 NFL free agency. His every move has been highly publicized, such as his family home in Massachusetts hitting the market.
Brady himself added fuel to the fire stating that he’s “open-minded” about his future. But what are the chances that the longtime Patriots signal-caller would actually don the pretty powder blues in Tinsel Town for the Los Angeles Chargers?
Geographically, it almost makes too much sense. As previously mentioned, Brady is selling his Massachusetts mansion and he and his family already have a home in Los Angeles. If they were going to pack up and move, that would be ideal. It would also work for the NFL.
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Los Angeles is the second biggest city in the United States and one of the biggest markets. In the NFL, however, it seems to be struggling out there. The two teams that call the City of Angels home, the Chargers and Rams, aren’t even the most important NFL teams in their own city it seems.
The now-Las Vegas Raiders still have a big following from their time there, the Dallas Cowboys always have a strong national following and there is also the other California team, the San Francisco 49ers, that’s about to play in the Super Bowl. That’s not even getting into USC football, Lakers or Dodgers either.
The Rams are in better shape than the Chargers, though, who struggled to fill a soccer stadium for the last few seasons. Both teams will be calling the new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood home in 2020, a near $5 billion project. The league and the Chargers, in particular, would love nothing more than to give local fans a reason to buy tickets and cheer on their local teams. A superstar the caliber of Brady would do just that.
Football-wise, it’s a good move too. The Chargers roster is absolutely loaded. They have two stud wide receivers in Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, versatile running backs and a solid defense featuring a lethal pass rush.
While the offensive line isn’t anything to write home about, it would still be an improvement than New England. Besides, when a quarterback can release the ball as quickly as Brady, it isn’t as big of an issue. With the Chargers more likely than not moving on from Philip Rivers, quarterback is really the team’s only glaring need.
It’s also been beaten to death in the media that Brady may want to prove that he can win without Bill Belichick. While Anthony Lynn is no Belichick, he’s no slouch either, doing a commendable job keeping the team afloat during the Chargers controversial move from San Diego to Los Angeles. Brady may not be what he once was, but he would still be an improvement over what Rivers delivered in 2019 and give the franchise the jolt they need.
With all that said, it still seems like a bit of a longshot that Brady leaves the Patriots. Despite the Chargers loaded roster, the Patriots would still probably give him the best chance to win. They have an easier division and the greatest coach ever, not to mention the familiarity.
Brady would move away from offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels after a long, glorious run to then work with the young Shane Steichen, who would be in his first full year as a play-caller, should he come to LA.
While it does make a lot of sense for Brady to join the Chargers to kick off the 2020s (and they’re probably the only team that really has a realistic shot of landing him outside of New England as of right now), it should still be considered a long shot. The faithful Charger fans can rest easy though — there’s always the draft.