If Tom Brady decides not to return to the New England Patriots for the 2020 season, here are five options the Patriots could explore moving forward.
For really the first time in about 20 years, the New England Patriots might have a predicament to deal with at the quarterback position going into a new season. Patriots veteran quarterback Tom Brady is set to hit free agency this offseason for the first time since the future Hall-of-Famer broke into the league in 2000, with his future in New England up in the air.
There are multiple reasons why Brady would be willing to return to the Patriots in 2020 as well as why he would want to move on from the only NFL organization he has ever played for, which should make for an interesting offseason once the free agency period officially begins.
If Brady would be interested in returning to New England this season, he would obviously help the Patriots return as favorites to make a deep run in the playoffs like they have done numerous times during his tenure in the league.
In 2019, Brady ended up having a fairly average year while continuing to build onto his historical career, leading New England to its 17th AFC East title and 11th straight division crown since he entered the NFL.
While dealing with below-average talent around him on the offensive side of the ball, Brady — who will turn 43 years old in August — might be trying to force New England’s hand with his free agency status in question in order for it to try and make some moves to improve the offensive personnel around him.
As Brady explores the idea of picking where he wants to play his 21st season in the NFL and beyond this offseason, let’s take a look at five potential options at quarterback for New England in 2020 if the veteran quarterback does decide to move on and take his talents elsewhere this year.
5. Jarrett Stidham
The first option of a quarterback that could take over the reins under center for the New England Patriots if Tom Brady decides to move on for the 2020 season is current Patriots backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Stidham completed his rookie campaign with New England during the 2019 season backing up one of the best quarterbacks to ever step on the field.
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Stidham, who will turn 24 years old in August, could be a potential option for the Patriots to turn to if they don’t have success in trying to bring in a new quarterback if Brady joins another squad this season.
The young quarterback, who was drafted out of Auburn by New England in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, appeared in three games for the Patriots during the season, although he didn’t play that often while Brady handled a majority of the quarterbacking duties on offense in the regular season.
During the year, Stidham tallied a total of four passing attempts, completing two of those passes for a total of 14 yards through the air. He managed to average 3.5 yards per attempt, throwing one interception along the way.
Stidham took the field the most during the Week 3 victory over the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, a game that ended in the Patriots taking down their AFC East division opponent 30-14 at home.
If Brady decides to leave New England and the Patriots end up striking out on free agent quarterbacks this offseason, an option New England could levitate towards could be a quarterback that already lies within its roster in Stidham. He would provide the Patriots with a cheap option under center and also would allow the offense to continue to operate under the same system going into 2020.
4. Teddy Bridgewater
If Tom Brady leaves the New England Patriots as a free agent this offseason and the Patriots are forced to look elsewhere to fill the quarterback position for the first time in over two decades, one option that could be on the free-agent market is Teddy Bridgewater.
Bridgewater initially broke into the NFL in 2014 with the Minnesota Vikings after he was drafted out of Louisville with the 32nd overall pick in that year’s draft.
Bridgewater went on to play three years as the starting quarterback in Minnesota until a gruesome and freak knee injury during training camp forced the organization to move on from its promising young quarterback.
The 27-year-old went on to sign with the New Orleans Saints prior to the 2018 campaign and just wrapped up his second season with the Saints while serving as a backup to veteran Drew Brees.
During the 2019 regular season, Bridgewater did manage to get a decent amount of playing time while Brees went through a hand injury that sidelined him in the middle of the year, appearing in nine games while starting five of those contests.
While showing the rest of the NFL that he is back to being healthy, Bridgewater was stellar in filling in for Brees during a five-game stretch during the season, leading New Orleans to a 5-0 record in that span.
Over the course of the season, Bridgewater managed to complete 67.9 percent of his passes, tallying a total of 1,384 yards and nine touchdowns. He also has the ability to stretch the field and offense with his capability to get outside of the pocket and run the ball.
The fact that Bridgewater will likely be available to sign with a new squad going into 2020, New England could look to add the quarterback to its roster if Brady moves on during free agency. Bridgewater could provide the Patriots with a quarterback who can do a little bit of everyone on the offensive side of the field, and could also give New England a somewhat young quarterback for the next few years.
3. Cam Newton
If the New England Patriots look to the trade market to fill a potential need at quarterback if veteran Tom Brady leaves the franchise this offseason to take his talents elsewhere, an appealing option that might be available is Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. Newton is a former NFL MVP that most notably led the Panthers to the Super Bowl a few seasons ago, making an appearance in Super Bowl 50.
The 30-year-old quarterback, who was picked first overall out of Auburn by the Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft, is certainly an interesting option for the Patriots if the Panthers decide to move on from their veteran quarterback in 2020.
Given the recent shift in coaching personnel in Carolina, the Panthers could look to clean the slate and try and see what they could get for Newton on the trade market, and New England could explore the idea of making a deal work to fill its potential need under center.
Newton is a dangerous quarterback both in the passing game and with his legs in the running game, which is a valuable asset for a quarterback to have for teams in the modern layout of teams in the NFL.
In 2019, Newton only appeared in two games for Carolina while dealing with a season-ending foot injury that resulted in him undergoing surgery. In those two games, however, Newton tallied 572 yards passing with one interception, completing 56.2 percent of his passes.
Another thing that is intriguing about New England going after Newton is that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has said in the past that he views Newton as one of the top quarterbacks in the league.
In 2017, Belichick told the media prior to the Patriots facing the Panthers that Newton is near the top of the list of quarterbacks who are a complete package and are able to throw, run and are also hard to tackle and contain on offense.
That alone could be enough for New England and company to explore the idea of adding Newton to the offense in 2020 if Brady decides he doesn’t want to return for the remainder of his historic career.
2. Matthew Stafford
Another player that the New England Patriots could try and reach out to acquire on the trade market if he is ultimately made available is Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford is a name that not that many people are talking about as a potential replacement for Tom Brady at quarterback in New England, mainly for the reason that he is still under contract and it would be hard to see the Lions parting ways with their veteran leader.
Stafford has continued to be one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL since he came into the league in 2009 after being drafted out of Georgia by the Lions with the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
In 2019, Stafford appeared in eight total games for Detroit before suffering a back injury that cut his season short. The 32-year-old quarterback ended up completing 64.3 percent of his pass attempts, throwing for 2,499 yards through the air with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions.
So with that continued success under center, why would the Lions be interested in parting ways via the trade market with their top-notch quarterback?
An interesting aspect of the potential of Detroit moving on from Stafford is the fact that the Lions hold the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. One player that will likely be available at that pick for Detroit if it decides he is talented enough not to be able to pass up is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out of Alabama.
With Stafford under contract yet and the quarterback position not currently being a need for the Lions, it’s not likely that Detroit would end up taking the quarterback out of Alabama in the draft, but it’s an option that is intriguing and could be worth watching as the draft approaches.
If Stafford does end up becoming available and the Lions move on from their veteran quarterback ahead of the 2020 campaign, the Patriots would be foolish not to make a call to Detroit to try and acquire Stafford at quarterback if Brady leaves the organization in free agency.
1. Philip Rivers
If forced with trying to find a new quarterback to fill in on offense if Tom Brady leaves, New England could be frontrunners to bringing in another veteran quarterback while coming up with a plan for the long-term future. Perhaps the top option at quarterback on the free-agent market would be longtime Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.
The Chargers are likely to move on from the veteran quarterback moving into the 2020 campaign, and that would result in Rivers trying to find a new home heading into the season.
During the 2019 season, Rivers completed his 16th year in the NFL after entering the league in 2004. The 38-year-old appeared in all 16 games for Los Angeles, completing 66 percent of his pass attempts while throwing for 4,615 yards and 23 touchdowns along with 20 interceptions.
With Rivers potentially hitting free agency and on the search for a new team for the first time in his career, the veteran quarterback would likely be looking for a squad that is in a good position to compete while he tries to obtain his first Super Bowl title of his tenure in the NFL.
If the Patriots end up looking to add a new quarterback under center if Brady leaves the franchise during the offseason, New England could replace that veteran player with another veteran leader for at least the next year or two.
A change of scenery could provide to be a positive thing for Rivers, and if the Patriots do ultimately find themselves on the search for a new quarterback in 2020, he could be a top option on the free-agent market.