It stands to reason that Tom Brady and the Los Angeles Chargers could be a logical match in 2020.
Brady is set to be a free agent in 2019, and while it’s entirely possible the New England Patriots will re-sign him, the possibility for a departure remains very real. If he does leave New England, Brady would look for a desirable landing spot, and few places look better than L.A., which seems to be at least considering moving on from quarterback Philip Rivers. The Chargers boast a talented roster, with a handful of excellent skill players. What’s more, the huge market could be the perfect place for Brady to build his TB12 brand, a wholistic approach to reaching peak performance.
But there’s one major problem. And NFL Network analyst and retired Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest has the scoop.
“I’ll just give you one little nugget. Somebody who is really important to Tom Brady — his other half (Gisele Bundchen) — doesn’t like it out here in California,” McGinest said this week during an appearance on The Dave Dameshek Football Program. “So that may factor into that decision, too.”
While many suggest that Brady and Bill Belichick to try to sustain success without each other, McGinest wasn’t so sure. He said they’re like family — they’re tight knit, even if there are squabbles. McGinest suggested a hypothetical scenario that might help the Patriots keep Brady around. It involved Belichick giving Brady “every resource” during the upcoming offseason, as suggested by McGinest. That meant appeasing Brady’s needs on the offensive line and at the skill positions by adding the talent Brady wants.
But that’s never how Belichick has operated. He rarely defers to top personnel evaluators like Nick Caserio — who will someday be an NFL general manager — let alone the quarterback who has no experience evaluating and scouting talent. So McGinest’s suggestion is, in a way, more preposterous than that idea of Brady joining the Chargers. Surely, Brady expresses his interest in players. Surely, Belichick takes those suggestions with a grain of salt.
If Brady is to return to the Patriots, it will likely be because he and Belichick come to a contract that is friendly to New England. That’s how it has always been with the Patriots.
