Tom Brady has three regular-season MVPs, three first-team All-Pro appearances, four Super Bowl MVPs and six championship rings. One thing he has never done? Test NFL free agency. That changes next week, as the greatest quarterback of all time's contract with the New England Patriots voids, allowing his agents to begin to negotiate with other teams at noon ET on March 16.
Which teams are really interested in the 42-year-old, and what could his contract look like? We asked NFL Nation reporters to make their best offer on behalf of the teams they cover.
We came up with four teams realistically in the running to sign Brady -- including the Patriots, of course -- and each has the need and cap space to sign him. All four are also attractive to Brady, who has spent all 20 years of his NFL career in one place. There are six other teams popularly linked with chasing Brady that our reporters believe will pass on him and pursue other options.
The offers below are based on what the reporters believe their teams could offer Brady. We then had national NFL writer Dan Graziano take on the role of Brady and pick the best offer
The offers for Brady
New England Patriots' offer
Total years and value: five for $125 million
Average per year: $25 million
Full guarantee at signing: $37.5 million
Total guarantee: $50 million
Three-year payout: $75 million (if option bonus is picked up)
Average per year: $25 million
Full guarantee at signing: $37.5 million
Total guarantee: $50 million
Three-year payout: $75 million (if option bonus is picked up)
Five years? Let me explain. Symbolism, strategy and salary-cap considerations are in play.
Start with the symbolism. Brady, 42, has said he hopes to play until he's 45, but he and the Patriots haven't been able to strike an extension the previous two years to get him to that point. That has meant a year-to-year setup.
Brady didn't have leverage in those situations. He has more leverage now, which means if coach Bill Belichick still believes Brady gives the team the best chance to win -- which seems to be the case -- it could be time to alter strategy and present a contract to Brady that represents how the organization believes he will reach his goal of playing at age 45.
A five-year pact does that. And the way it could be strategically structured would reinforce that belief, with salary-cap considerations in mind to benefit the team. That makes it a potential win-win scenario.
In essence, the first two years of the deal would be similar to what quarterback Drew Brees signed with the Saints before the 2018 season: $50 million over two years. That's fair market value and a compromise -- probably more than the Patriots would like to pay, but not as much as Brady could command elsewhere. It would commit the Patriots and Brady to each other through at least the 2021 season.
That would leave $75 million to account for over the final three years, which Brady might or might not have interest in playing. An option bonus prior to the third season (2022) could be picked up to activate the final three years, of which Brady might play one before retiring.
This type of deal also leaves valuable cap space for the team to surround Brady with better weapons, especially at tight end and receiver, where there's a need for more speed. The Patriots are expected to aggressively pursue various possibilities in those areas, whether Brady is back or not. In addition to personnel help, Brady would also benefit from continuing to build on the system/foundation that has been created over the past 20 years, as opposed to starting fresh elsewhere. -- Mike Reiss
Los Angeles Chargers' offer
Total years and value: two for $64 million
Average per year: $32 million
Full guarantee at signing: $64 million
Total guarantee: $64 million
Two-year payout: $64 million
Average per year: $32 million
Full guarantee at signing: $64 million
Total guarantee: $64 million
Two-year payout: $64 million
Kirk Cousins set the precedent for fully guaranteed contracts at the quarterback position two years ago, and in order to lure Brady out of New England, the Chargers are going to have to sweeten the pot.
The Chargers have approximately $47 million in cap space. That does not include the roughly $5 million in additional cap space they will pick up once the trade of left tackle Russell Okung to the Panthers for guard Trai Turner becomes official on March 18, the first day of the league year. The team also has the ability to shed about $11 million in cash with the potential retirement of veteran defensive tackle Brandon Mebane and by moving on from oft-injured linebacker Denzel Perryman, so the Chargers have the financial ability to bring Brady into the fold.
By signing Brady, however, the Chargers likely would have to address the offensive line with the No. 6 overall pick instead of drafting a signal-caller such as Oregon's Justin Herbert or Utah State's Jordan Love as the franchise quarterback of the future.
The Chargers have already re-signed breakout running back Austin Ekeler, but to appease Brady, they would also need to splash the cash to bring back tight end Hunter Henry, who is a free agent. In addition, they could re-sign running back Melvin Gordon to complement Ekeler. The Chargers also have a high-dollar contract extension looming for talented defensive end Joey Bosa, who's in the final year of his rookie deal. It would take some finagling to make the money work to keep everyone.
How could the Chargers appeal to the California native? They can offer the opportunity for a fresh start in Los Angeles, where his family has a home, and dynamic playmakers like Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Ekeler at his disposal. He would also be a draw for fans in the newly built SoFi Stadium and help raise the team's fledgling footprint in L.A. And if Brady can still play, the Chargers would once again be a Super Bowl contender. -- Eric D. Williams
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