Poll: Who Will Tom Brady Play For In 2020?
As expected, Tom Brady‘s name has become a mainstay in NFL headlines as we creep closer to the opening of free agency in March. Even as the 2019 season was in progress, his future in the league was often discussed, and several teams were rumored as potential landing spots if he should continue his playing career and elect to leave the Patriots.
And while Brady put an end to any retirement drama immediately after New England’s ouster from the playoffs by saying he would return to the field in 2020, the question of where he will play is still very much unsettled.
The Chargers, long rumored as a possible fit, were definitively linked to Brady just last week, when Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirmed that the Bolts would make a push for the six-time Super Bowl champ. Given the talent that LA boasts at the skill positions and the fact that the club could incorporate Brady’s TB12 workout facility into its brand new stadium — not to mention Brady’s connections to SoCal — a Chargers-Brady partnership is a logical one.
But LA’s division rival, the Raiders, are also planning to pursue the future Hall of Famer. Adding Brady at this point in his career would not necessarily represent a slam-dunk upgrade over Derek Carr, but it would make a ton of sense from a marketing perspective for the Las Vegas-bound outfit and for Brady, and if the Raiders improve their receiving corps — which they are fully expected to do — they could compete for a wildcard berth in 2020.
The Colts and Titans have been more speculative fits than anything else, but the Colts hung around the playoff picture for much of the 2019 season, the AFC South looks like it will be up for grabs again in 2020, and Brady could be the boost that gets Indianapolis back to the postseason. The Colts are also flush with cap space, so they could afford to sign Brady while also providing him with a couple of additional weapons, though they already have a few talented pieces at the skill positions.
Of course, the Titans were the team that ended the Patriots’ 2019 playoff run, and they advanced to the AFC Championship game behind a dominant running game and good defense. Ryan Tannehill was more of a game manager in the playoffs than he was in his regular season renaissance, and recent reports have suggested that Tennessee may not be as committed to him as was once believed. If Brady is interested, the Titans may be, too.
And then there’s the Patriots, who became one of the all-time great dynasties in sports with Brady under center. Owner Robert Kraft has made it clear that he wants Brady back, but some around the league believe the 42-year-old will leave Foxborough, leaving the Pats without a definitive answer at QB for the first time in 20 years.
So what do you think? Will Brady remain with the only team he has ever known, or will he play out the remainder of his career trying to bring glory to another franchise? Vote in the poll below and show your work in the comments.
Who will Tom Brady play for in 2020?
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Patriots 58% (2,147)
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Raiders 13% (480)
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Chargers 12% (448)
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Another team 9% (327)
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Colts 4% (137)
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Titans 4% (135)
Total votes: 3,674
Eric Weddle Retires From NFL
On Thursday, Eric Weddle announced that he has reached the end of his extraordinary career. After 13 years, the legendary safety will move on to new endeavors and spend more time with his family.
Weddle’s journey began in 2007 with the Chargers. There, he forged a reputation as one of the league’s most imposing and hard-nosed safeties, collecting three Pro Bowl nominations and two First-Team All-Pro selections over the course of nine seasons. He also became one of the franchise’s main faces. Weddle became synonymous with San Diego, and he did not make the move to L.A. with his longtime club.
Unable to come to terms on a new deal, Weddle moved on to the Ravens before the 2016 season. His second chapter brought more memorable moments, including three consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl and 220 total tackles.
When the Ravens cut him loose last year, he hooked on with the Rams on a two-year pact. After tallying 108 tackles (good for second on the team) and four passes defensed, Weddle expressed uncertainty about whether he’d return for another season and attempt to play through chronic shoulder and knee pain. It also wasn’t clear whether the Rams had him in their plans – Weddle was set to count for a $4.75MM cap charge in 2020, and all but $500K could have been erased with his release.
Towards the end, Weddle’s declining speed and mounting list of ailments started to show. Regardless, he leaves the game with more accomplishments than we can list, but we’ll list a few more of them here – 1,179 total tackles, 29 interceptions, 98 passes defensed, 9.5 sacks, and five All-Pro nods (counting second- and third-team). We here at PFR wish Weddle the best in retirement.
Chargers Re-Sign OC Shane Steichen
It’s official. On Tuesday, the Chargers formally re-signed offensive coordinator Shane Steichen to a brand new deal that will keep him on board for the 2020 season and beyond. 
[RELATED: Chargers’ Anthony Lynn Signs Extension]
Terms of the deal are not yet known, but Steichen’s pact almost certainly will take him through the 2022 season, and possibly longer. Steichen started last season as the team’s quarterbacks coach, but he was bumped up to the OC job – with play-calling responsibilities – after Ken Whisenhunt was canned in October.
Under Whisenhunt, the run game was downright pitiful: The Chargers went four straight games without achieving 40 yards rushing and their spotty aerial attack had them ranked No. 23 in the league in points. With Steichen at the helm, things improved somewhat – they converted on more red zone opportunities, placed No. 12 in DVOA on the year, and averaged nearly three more points per contest in the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, Steichen’s effect on wide receiver Mike Williams was immediately apparent – the former first-round pick had an iffy start to the year, bu the helped kick off the OC’s promotion with three catches for 111 yards against the Packers in Week 9. All in all, he had 582 receiving yards in the back half of the season and finished with a league-leading 20.4 yards per reception.
Steichen’s relationship with Philip Rivers could help to facilitate a reunion. The veteran is scheduled for free agency and recently bought a home in Florida, but the Chargers are still open to keeping him via a new deal or the franchise tag.
2020 Draft Order
Super Bowl LIV is in the books, which means the order for the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft is set. By virtue of their 31-20 win Sunday night, the Chiefs will have the final pick in the first round. The 49ers dropping to 5-2 in Super Bowls will result in the NFC champions approaching the podium at No. 31.
Here is the full first-round order:
1. Bengals (2-14)
2. Redskins (3-13)
3. Lions (3-12-1)
4. Giants (4-12)
5 Dolphins (5-11)
6. Chargers (5-11)
7. Panthers (5-11)
8. Cardinals (5-10-1)
9. Jaguars (6-10)
10. Browns (6-10)
11. Jets (7-9)
12. Raiders (7-9)
13. Colts (7-9)
14. Buccaneers (7-9)
15. Broncos (7-9)
16. Falcons (7-9)
17. Cowboys (8-8)
18. Dolphins (via Steelers 8-8)
19. Raiders (via Bears 8-8)
20. Jaguars (via Rams 9-7)
21. Eagles (9-7)
22. Bills (10-6)
23. Patriots (12-4)
24. Saints (13-3)
25. Vikings (10-6)
26. Dolphins (via Texans 10-6)
27. Seahawks (11-5)
28. Ravens (14-2)
29. Titans (9-7)
30. Packers (13-3)
31. 49ers (13-3)
32. Chiefs (12-4)
Chargers May Tag Philip Rivers, Colts And Retirement Also Options
Philip Rivers‘ future is very much up in the air. There have been indications that Rivers could be headed for a split with the Chargers, although that certainly isn’t definite. To that end, Los Angeles hasn’t “firmly decided” what they’re going to do with Rivers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter video link). 
Rapoport reports that the Chargers are still mulling using their franchise tag on Rivers. If they do decide to move on, Rapoport says not to be surprised if the Colts emerge as a landing spot. Rivers has plenty of connections to Indy, as head coach Frank Reich used to be his offensive coordinator in San Diego and he also played under Colts OC Nick Sirianni. We’ve also heard that Bruce Arians and the Buccaneers could be interested in Rivers’ services.
Interestingly, Rapoport says that retirement is still an option for Rivers if his market isn’t too hot, which is new. Rivers said immediately after the season ended that he had no plans to retire. Rapoport’s NFL Network colleague Mike Garafolo said in the same clip that he had also heard retirement is still on the table.
Rivers had a down 2019 due to a lot of turnovers, but the year before he was one of the best passers in the league. He led the Chargers to a 12-4 record that year while tossing 32 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions, averaging a robust 8.5 yards per attempt.
Patriots Prepared To Pay Tom Brady $30MM/Year
Tom Brady and the Patriots could very well extend their remarkably fruitful relationship into 2020 and beyond, and New England is prepared to do whatever it can to make that happen. Per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Pats are willing to pay Brady $30MM or more per season to get him to stay in Foxborough (video link).
That would bring Brady more in line with the pay of elite QBs around the league, but in addition to the size of his own contract, Brady wants the club to pony up some cash and/or draft capital to bring in more talent to surround him. The Pats were carried by their defense this year, and their general dearth of weapons at wide receiver and tight end proved to be costly down the stretch of the 2019 season and played a major role in their wildcard round defeat.
We have long heard that the Chargers could be among the non-Patriots suitors for Brady, and Rapoport confirms that the Bolts are expected to make a strong push for the legendary signal-caller. RapSheet notes in a written piece that the Chargers, who are prepared to move into an extravagant new stadium in LA, could incorporate Brady’s TB12 workout facility, which is important to Brady. Rapoport also mentions the Titans as a potential landing spot (depending, of course, on what they choose to do with Ryan Tannehill).
Meanwhile, the Patriots are working on contingency plans just in case they cannot convince Brady to rejoin them. One such option includes a trade for a veteran QB, and there could be several viable players on the trade market, including Cam Newton and Andy Dalton.
Melvin Gordon Wants To Stay With Chargers
In addition to the murky status of Philip Rivers, the Chargers have another high-profile free agent on offense. Melvin Gordon is less than two months away from the open market.
Gordon played out his fifth-year option season, doing so after waging an unsuccessful holdout that cost him a chunk of it. Despite Gordon not enjoying a strong contract year and the Bolts falling well short of expectations, the former first-round pick would like to stay in Los Angeles and wants to re-sign before the start of free agency.
“Hopefully, I’m here,” Gordon said during an appearance on PFT Live. “Hopefully, I don’t have to wait til March to know where I’m gonna be playing.”
The two-time Pro Bowler, who will turn 27 in April, said he and GM Tom Telesco have talked “plenty of times.” But those discussions do not appear to have produced much momentum toward keeping the Wisconsin alum in L.A. The Bolts saw RFA-to-be Austin Ekeler outplay Gordon this past season. Gordon’s yards per carry dropped from 5.1 during a Pro Bowl 2018 slate to 3.8, and his 908 scrimmage yards trailed Ekeler by more than 600.
“When it comes to business, you have to take your emotions out of it,” Gordon said. “It’s not about if you deserve to be here or not. I’ve talked to Tom plenty of times, he tells me ‘You deserve to get paid’ but sometimes it just might not be the right situation.”
It sounds likely Gordon will be allowed to test the market. Running backs have not fared especially well in free agency in recent years, and Le’Veon Bell‘s rough Jets debut — after a top-market offer came in March — may hurt Gordon’s cause. The Chargers are projected to hold more than $54MM in cap space. Of course, if they decide to franchise Rivers, much of that will go toward their quarterback and limit the Bolts’ spending elsewhere.
Chargers Considering Franchise Tag For Philip Rivers
Many have assumed that the Chargers and quarterback Philip Rivers would part ways in the coming months, thereby ending a 16-year partnership. But as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports, all options remain on the table (video link).
Per Rapoport, Chargers coaches have recently returned to the team facility, and they will sit down with GM Tom Telesco to determine how they want to move forward. Of course, the Bolts could simply make no effort to re-sign Rivers and instead opt to roll with Tyrod Taylor, a rookie signal-caller, or a free agent/trade acquisition (like Tom Brady).
But Rapoport says the Chargers are considering putting the franchise tag on Rivers, which would secure his services for one more season while Los Angeles grooms a young QB behind him (we recently heard that the team is high on Utah State’s Jordan Love). The franchise tag checks in just shy of $27MM, which is more than Rivers is likely to fetch on the open market.
Of course, the Chargers could also see how free agency shakes out and perhaps sign Rivers to a new contract after free agency opens if they cannot acquire an upgrade. But if they do bring back Rivers via the tag or a new deal, they probably shouldn’t bank on a vintage Rivers performance. The 38-year-old showed his age in 2019, throwing 20 interceptions and fumbling the ball eight times.
For his part, Rivers may not even want to return to the only team he has ever known. He has permanently moved from San Diego to Florida, and there is a lot of buzz connecting him to the Buccaneers.
AFC Notes: Ravens, Brady, Mosley
We heard at the end of December that the Ravens are prepared to slap pass rusher Matt Judon with the franchise tag if they cannot work out a long-term deal with him, but recent comments from head coach John Harbaugh suggested Judon could be suiting up elsewhere in 2020. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic says Baltimore may be disinclined to use the tag, as it would take up a big chunk of their cap and could alienate the emotional and outspoken Judon.
On the other hand, Judon is the only proven pass rusher on the team, and there’s no guarantee the Ravens can win a bidding war for one of this year’s top FAs or land a player at the bottom of the first round of the draft who can make an immediate impact, so GM Eric DeCosta will have to carefully weigh a number of factors.
Let’s round up a few other AFC items, starting with several more nuggets out of Baltimore:
- The Ravens and veteran CB Jimmy Smith have mutual interest in a reunion, per Zrebiec. However, if Baltimore brings back Smith, it’s unlikely that CB/S Brandon Carr also returns. Meanwhile, the Ravens will almost certainly cut safety Tony Jefferson.
- Regardless of what they do with Judon, the Ravens will have to add three or four starting-caliber players to their front seven, so Zrebiec expects the team to focus on those areas heavily in the draft, and he fully expects DeCosta to draft a WR or two.
- Add Jay Glazer of The Athletic to the list of pundits who believe a Tom Brady–Raiders partnership makes sense. Like others, Glazer thinks the Chargers are an obvious non-Patriots landing spot, but given the international presence that the Las Vegas outfit is expected to have, both Brady and the team would stand to benefit from a Sin City marriage.
- In a recent interview with Eddie Paskal of the team’s official website, Raiders GM Mike Mayock said he believes the move to Las Vegas will help the club attract top free agents, even those not named Brady. The fact that Nevada does not have a state income tax will obviously be appealing, as will the sleek new stadium and the general excitement surrounding the franchise. Mayock also noted that he will look to add wide receiver help this offseason.
- Jets LB C.J. Mosley had to undergo groin/abdominal surgery about six weeks ago, but he expects to be ready for the team’s offseason program this spring, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. One of last year’s biggest free agent fish, Mosley played in just two games for Gang Green, and he has started a vegan diet in the hopes of giving himself an edge.
Latest On Top QB Prospects
A long list of teams have question marks at the quarterback position heading into the offseason. Well, one executive believes many of the organizations will solve their predicament via the draft. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller talked to a personnel executive who believes five quarterbacks will be selected in the top-15 of this year’s draft.
This might not sound all that shocking; among the teams with top-15 picks, only five of those organizations have used first-round capital at the position in the past two drafts. You could easily talk yourself into one of the other 10 teams selecting a quarterback, and a team outside the top-15 could easily trade up. However, it is notable that the executive was willing to speak so definitively.
As Miller explains, there’s a pretty clear pecking order atop the quarterback draft board: Joe Burrow (LSU), Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama), some combo of Jordan Love (Utah State) and Justin Herbert (Oregon), Jacob Eason (Washington), and Jake Fromm (Georgia). Miller notes that the Chargers, who are selecting sixth-overall, are particularly interested in Love.
Miller himself believes six quarterbacks will be selected in the top-50, and he notes that part of the urgency to select a signal-caller could be attributed to the falloff after the top-six options. The next-best prospect, Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts, struggled during Senior Bowl practice this week, and Hawaii’s Cole McDonald projects as more of a fifth- or sixth-rounder.