Will Tom Brady actually leave the New England Patriots?

Rumors are running wild about Tom Brady’s impending free agency, but will the franchise quarterback actually leave the New England Patriots this spring?

Tom Brady is in the twilight of his illustrious NFL career. He has won six Super Bowls in his 20 years leading the New England Patriots, but what if his time is up in Foxborough? Brady wants to keep playing until he’s 45-years-old. He’ll be 43-years-old in 2020. What are the chances he ends up playing somewhere else? Could Brady actually leave the Patriots in free agency?

On this week’s episode of Stacking the Box, FanSided‘s Matt Verderame and Mark Carman, along with former NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz, look at what could be in store for Brady in his impending free agency. We know he’ll test the market, but should we prepare ourselves for his New England departure (5:46)?

“He’s going to stay in New England, as he should stay in New England,” said Schwartz. “I think most people actually think he’ll stay in New England…First of all, he’s 43. So his routine is now in New England. He knows every single person in the facility. They have everything catered to the way he likes it. His family is obviously very set in the community. All those things matter…”

“I think smart money is on him going back to New England,” said Verderame. “I do think that’s the case, but I also think if you said to me, ‘Is there a chance he goes to the [Los Angeles] Chargers?’ Yeah, I think there’s a chance. I think if he’s going to leave, that’s where he’s going to go. I think it’s possible with Las Vegas, but I think it’s much more likely he’ll go to the Chargers.”

This is one of those scenarios where we’ll believe it when we see it. Until it happens, Brady is staying in New England. If he were to leave, going to an AFC West team like the Los Angeles Chargers or the Las Vegas Raiders doesn’t make a ton of sense football-wise. You do realize Patrick Mahomes plays in that same division, which makes getting to the playoffs even harder?

Should Brady end up leaving, the team that makes the most sense is the Tennessee Titans. He would play for his former Patriots teammate Mike Vrabel. Tennessee has a ton of offensive weapons and plays in a winnable division. Nashville isn’t Las Vegas or Los Angeles, but is an emerging media market and the best spot if Brady were to leave Foxborough for whatever reason.

Here are a few other topics discussed on this week’s episode of Stacking the Box:

• Geoff walks us through an Andy Reid play call (33:10)
• Have we heard last of Rudolph-Garrett feud (34:40)
• What to watch for at NFL Combine? (47:15)
• Geoff talks stretching, yoga in his old age (50:30)

All this and more!

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