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Tom Brady and the Chicago Bears may reside on two different sides of the country, but their needs and goals could be aligning. Assuming the quarterback doesn't want to walk away from football just yet, he will have a market of options. However, his bargaining position may not be as good as it was a year ago.
Coming off an 8-9 season that ended in an ugly blowout, the quarterback has likely left a bad taste and a seed of doubt in the mouths of general managers. Of course, he is still technically the same person who went to all those Super Bowls. Still, even with a historically reliable 25-year-old Toyota, the miles and years eventually take their toll.
With Aaron Rodgers possibly on his way out of the conference, some, including Bears insider Josh Schrock via NBC Sports, claim it could be time for the other No. 12 to arrive as the division would fall into a power vacuum. Some would argue that it already has.
Why even an 8-9 version of Buccaneers QB Tom Brady would be an upgrade for struggling Bears
Teams wouldn't even sneeze at the idea of signing 99 percent of other players at Brady's age, let alone giving them the keys to the franchise. However, for quarterback-needy teams, getting someone reliable and with recent playoff experience just one year removed from dominance has its draws.
One such team could be the Chicago Bears, whose last two quarterbacks have been drafted, leading to just one winning season since 2017.
The team may be ready to take a break from drafting and seriously pursue Brady. Of course, if they do, they know that Brady could blow up in their face or retire after just one year. That said, even a one-year run with Tom Brady could provide massive entertainment value, which the team hasn't had in 16 years.
In addition, the last big quarterback the team picked up outside of a draft was Jay Cutler, who got them to the NFC Championship game in 2010.
Brady's contract is up, and if the Buccaneers don't franchise tag him, he could be free to sign for the team he wants. However, it could easily become a tag-and-trade scenario. If that happens, the cost could be expensive for the Bears. However, a first-round pick may not be such a bad idea for a team that longs for a deep playoff run.
Signing Brady could also help change the franchise's losing culture on offense. Also, giving Justin Fields a chance to learn from the most accomplished quarterback in history wouldn't hurt.
