Ranking 3 realistic landing spots for Tom Brady in 2023

NFL QB GOAT Tom Brady has blessed two franchises with a championship presence. At the twilight stage of his career, the 7x Super Bowl champion is only interested in adding to his ring collection and leading a team with minimal road blocks from the coaching staff/front office.

Evidently, his past two head coaches, Bruce Arians and Bill Belichick, did not fit the mold of what Tom Brady was looking for in a locker-room leader. According to Shannon Sharpe, the lack of a friendship beyond the football field always bothered the 44-year-old gunslinger during his time with the Patriots.

"I think there's a healthy level of respect. [Brady] sees the relationships of some of his peers, and thinks ‘why can’t I have that?' Because your coach is old-school. [Belichick] kept players at arm's distance, because he knew there was going to come a time that ‘I might have to bench you, I might have to cut you, I might have to trade you.’ He was never going to allow himself to get buddy-buddy with Tom, play golf, or have a bite to eat. All the things that he's saying now, Brady's like ‘I was there for 20 years.’ It bothered Tom that he could not have a relationship with coach Belichick beyond player/coach."

As for the relationship between Tom Brady and Bruce Arians? Well, there was a clear issue with the power balance between the 22-year NFL veteran and the 46-year NCAA/NFL coach.

As former Buccaneer Rich Orhnberger shared on Twitter, Arians often undermined the 5x Super Bowl MVP this past season the week before games.

“The retirement announcement wasn’t because of the trouble seeing eye-to-eye on the offensive game planning, but the relationship was souring. Apparently, while Arians was rehabbing the Achilles in the early mornings, offensive co-ordinator Byron Leftwich and Brady would work on the week’s game plan. Arians would later come in and take the red pen to work they’d done. The QB and OC felt undermined, there was tension.”

Tom Brady could force his way out of Tampa if things don't improve in 2022

Tom Brady has voided years in his contract in 2023 and 2024, meaning he'll get deferred payments but will not count against the cap for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He can choose not to sign a new deal with the franchise and get that money. But for all we know, 2022 may not be his swansong season. If Tom Brady wants to keep playing, several NFL teams will do the necessary cap hurdling to land him.

Here are the top 3 most realistic Tom Brady landing spots, ranked.

Perhaps dissent between Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady and their teams leads to a swap of two QB legends

#3 - Green Bay Packers

Perhaps the Buccaneers could plan ahead and sign Tom Brady to an extension before the 2022 season even starts. The backup plan might be to try and trade him next offseason for Aaron Rodgers.

Of course, the Green Bay QB has had issues with the Packers' brain trust. The front office just traded his favorite receiving target (Davante Adams) and let fellow WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling sign with the Kansas City Chiefs.

A deal of this caliber has never happened before, and truthfully, it isn't all that likely. For The Win's Andy Nesbitt hated himself for even bringing this idea up back in February. But it could potentially solve each franchise's QB melodrama in one fell swoop.

The NY Giants could most certainly use a QB legend like Tom Brady

#2 - NY Giants

When all is said and done, Tom Brady will more than likely always have a blemish on his legendary resume.

That would be his two Super Bowl losses to the New York Giants back in 2008 and 2012. Both years, Big Blue was a massive underdog. That was particularly the case following the 2007 NFL MVP's perfect regular season. That culminated in an 18-1 Final record because of the Super Bowl XLII loss.

While Tom Brady did lose to a Nick Foles-led Philadelphia Eagles team in 2018 at Super Bowl LII, he also defeated a more complete Philly team 13 years prior at Super Bowl XXIX.

Joining the Giants would be considered the ultimate 'if you can't beat them, join them' for Tom Brady, despite a 6-1 regular-season record against the G-Men. And it'd be a possibility if these two things became a reality.

The first is Daniel Jones failing to prove once again in 2022 that he may be the long-term option in the 'Big Apple' under center. The second is Tom Brady believing that playing in the only metropolitan area in the United States to produce over a trillion dollars annually in revenue would be the best business decision.

If this franchise shows that it's merely a QB swap away from contending in Brian Daboll's first year, perhaps TB12 will consider trading his Tampa reds for a Big Blue jersey.

Miami is the most likely Brady landing spot in 2023

#1 - Miami Dolphins

When it comes down to it, these are the 3 most realistic Tom Brady situations come this time next year: Retired from the game completely, still with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or with the Miami Dolphins in some capacity.

The latter two options feel the likeliest. Clearly, this offseason has shown that Brady isn't quite ready yet to step away from the game. Given how much he's clashed with head coaches over the last few years, it's obvious he still has that competitive fire and will to win.

Before the Brian Flores lawsuit, Brady to Miami (with Sean Payton joining him as head coach) was a done deal, according to a report from Mike Florio.

"Brady eventually would have been introduced as a minority owner of the Dolphins. The announcement would have been made as soon as the following week, which was the week that preceded the Super Bowl. Then came the Brian Flores lawsuit. Filed (coincidentally or not) the same day Brady retired, the litigation resulted in the plug being pulled on the Payton/Brady plan."

Expect this to happen next offseason if Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can't reach compromises during the upcoming 2022 NFL season.

Poll : Will Tom Brady be on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023?

Yes

98 votes