What is Tom Brady looking for as he enters free agency?

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady seems destined to hit free agency at this point. If he does, what is he looking for in his next team?

It’s important to keep in mind that until Tom Brady or the New England Patriots tell us otherwise, any and all reports that emerge surrounding their potential divorce — or consummation — is hearsay. It’s a lot of fun to play the “what if?” game with this particular storyline, but it’s also key to remember this is all just rumors and speculation.

No one really knows whats going to happen. Brady himself included.

That all being said and acknowledged as a disclaimer of sorts, what do we think Brady is looking for in free agency? The 42-year-old is one of the smartest players in the league, and there isn’t much he hasn’t seen over the course of his two-decades-long career on the football field.

However, there’s a whole lot he hasn’t seen in free agency. Understandably, the six-time Super Bowl champion has never been in this situation before. For once — for perhaps the first time since Brady was a rookie — he really is going into a situation with very little experience or practical know-how.

Of course, Brady has plenty of support in his corner. His agent, Don Yee, is one of the best, if not the best sports agent in the business. Brady himself has also been privy to numerous contract discussions over the past 20 years, so it’s not as if he doesn’t have a good barometer for how these conversations go down.

Besides, he’s had countless teammates and friends go through the free agency funhouse at this point. All he has to do is pick up the phone or knock on the door of one of his teammates or neighbors, and they’ll surely be able to answer whatever questions he might have about this process.

All in all though, Brady is probably very prepared. So then, again, what is he looking for? If the Patriots don’t find a way to retain him on a deal that works for both sides before free agency officially begins in a few weeks, what are the major conditions he’s looking for in a new home?

For starters, it appears he wants a better supporting cast. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, since it was evident to anyone with eyes that Brady was awfully frustrated last season with the lack of experience or savvy from his teammates.

He privately lamented the decision to release Antonio Brown (according to multiple reports), and he probably wasn’t thrilled about the way Josh Gordon screwed up his own situation either.

Add in a crew of either inexperienced, ineffective, and/or injured receivers and tight ends (N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers, Matt LaCosse, Ryan Izzo, Mohamed Sanu, Ben Watson, Phillip Dorsett), and you understand why Brady wants some serious attention paid to the guys he’s throwing the football to.

Brady also reportedly wants to be paid what he’s worth. He’s spent his entire career taking hometown discounts to allow the Patriots to build the best possible team around him. He seemingly believes they’ve dropped the ball in that regard of late, and as such, he’s ready to explore if he can’t find another situation elsewhere that satisfies both requirements.

The problem for Patriots fans is that it’s easy to see where he could check off both boxes elsewhere. The Raiders, the Chargers, the Titans, the Buccaneers, the Bears… any one of those clubs, and potentially half a dozen more, could afford to pay Brady big-time bucks, and they all have arguably better offensive weapons locked down under contract today than the Patriots do.

The one thing going in New England’s favor, though, is consistency. Not just winning consistency and the Patriot Way culture, but consistency in terms of scheme, in working with Josh McDaniels, in working with Bill Belichick, and working with the benefit of the best defense in the NFL.

Brady — and the Patriots — are going to have to decide in the coming weeks just what’s best for both side. Many still believe — as I do — that the best course of action for both parties is to continue onward, at least for another season or two.

We’ll see if Brady and Belichick agree.