Dalton.
Just you wait.
(Actually my dream scenario is Andy Dalton taking over for a retired Ben Roethlisberger and torching the Bengals, the Ginger Revenger.)
Franchise quarterbacks are not going to be available. Journeyman quarterbacks will not be as good as Brandy even now. Who will be better that will be available? Eli? Rivers? Keenum? Bridgewater?
No way he wants to retire with his last play being a game-losing pick 6 in a playoff.
What are his options? Go to the Chargers and play in half-full Rams stadium in front of Raiders fans? Not likely
I predict he’ll be in a Patriots uniform next year.
Bridgewater was pretty good though. He won 8 games this year and the only one he lost was the one he was unexpectedly put into after Brees got hurt.
But probably not better than Brady, I admit.
Brady and Bridgewater have almost identical 538 ELO ratings. I don’t think Teddy’s actually as good as Brady, but Brady posted some pretty crappy numbers (for him) this year.
If it’s Brady’s decision to leave so be it. But can you imagine the Patriots letting him go and Robert Kraft telling the fans that Bridgewater’s numbers were almost identical?
I think he’ll be back with the Patriots next season, but only if they pick-up some decent receivers for him to work with. I hear Odell Beckham is unhappy in Cleveland - what if the Patriots pick-up him or someone like him?
As of today. I think he’s going to retire. Does he really want to run the risk of an Alex Smith or Joe Theisman brutal injury? No one is going to remember the pick 6 except haters.
Him, Drew and Gropey the Quarterback (Stillers) will all be back with their teams. A few others (<cough> Giants <cough>) could be more of a coin flip
FWIW - Cris Collinsworth, after the Seahawks managed to beat the “Iggles” yesterday (and after being pressed, a bit, by Al Michaels), admitted that he thinks that Tom Brady will play again next season, but not for the Patriots. We’ll see!
That is the smart play. He has nothing left to prove. He has no more accolades to earn. He has more money than he could spend. And he’s one hit away from being a cripple or getting CTE if he’s not there yet.
But that ego. And I’m not saying that in a bad way. His ego has driven him to greatness. His drive and commitment have fueled him for 20 years. I don’t know if he can shut that off.
Neither did Willie Mays. Neither did Muhammad Ali. He’ll be back.
If Ali had seen Ali of the future, he wouldn’t have been back.
Baseball is a different beast, horrible injuries and CTE aren’t nearly the same factor.
There will be a bunch of rookies that really want to sack Brady and knock him on his ass. There were a lot of rookies that wanted to strike Willie Mays out and gloat as he walks back to the dugout.
Yeah, this is my thinking. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tells the Patriots (or already has) that he’ll only come back if they go get him a couple of top-notch weapons to give him one more shot at a ring. And I think they’ll try really hard to find a way to do that.
I doubt that he lands anywhere else. He’d have to find a spot where he has a real shot at winning another Superbowl with the team in place that just needs a QB to get them over the top, and I just don’t see that team out there. I really don’t think it’s about money for the guy at this point, and I don’t think he feels like he has anything to prove. He just wants to play as long as he can keep winning.
Here’s the thing, though. I really think his skills are deteriorating rapidly and things can start going south in a big hurry after 40. No shame in that, the dude’s ancient and it’s a minor miracle that he’s still playing at the level he’s at now. But even with two top WR’s and a beefed up line, I just don’t think he has the reflexes and strength to still be a top five QB. Even though I think that the Patriots might want to try to buy him some more time, I can’t help but wonder if they might be better off taking their lumps without him and rebuilding. It’s going to have to happen sooner or later.
I’m almost exactly one month older than Brady so he is not old. :mad:
I’m guessing his wife is hotter than yours… ?
Brady is 42. Has anyone played QB at this age at a high level? Isn’t he the one who Al Jazeera caught having HGH sent to his house under his wife’s name?
There was Flutie, Testaverde,and Warren Moon. And of course Blanda.
That was Peyton Manning.