NFL Rumors: Tom Brady Might Have Interest in the Chargers, but Is the Feeling Mutual?
One of the very first teams to be rumored as a destination for Tom Brady this offseason was the Los Angeles Chargers. As a team that is reportedly moving on from Philip Rivers, who has been the face of their franchise since 2006, the Chargers will be looking for a new QB who can help them win a championship while filling seats in the process.
There are obvious connections that make LA a seemingly good fit for Brady. The 42-year-old grew up in California, where he also still has a home. And what better place to grow the TB12 brand than in Los Angeles? These are some of the same reasons why Brady travels to the West Coast every offseason to train.
Even though the interest from Brady to join the Chargers has some weight to it, despite him not publicly claiming so, does Los Angeles have an actual interest in signing the six-time Super Bowl champion? A recent report suggests that might not be the case.
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report wrote about the Chargers' intentions at the quarterback position this offseason, which did not seem to include Brady whatsoever. Instead, they reportedly have interest in drafting or trading for a QB.
"What will the Los Angeles Chargers do at quarterback? All signs from league sources indicate the team will draft a signal-caller—either Justin Herbert or Tua Tagovailoa—in the first round, but within the last three days there have been a number of unsolicited calls and texts about a trade for Cam Newton.
"This makes sense.
"The Chargers need a quarterback, but they also need to sell tickets. Bringing in a household name and marketable option is business savvy and football smart if Newton is healthy. The most likely move is still to draft the next franchise quarterback at No. 6 overall, but there's enough buzz surrounding a Newton trade to mention it here."
If Los Angeles' actual intention is to draft a QB with the no. 6 overall pick, then it would make no sense for them to sign Brady. If they planned on signing Brady, who is at the backend of his career, then it would be smart of them to try and contend for a championship immediately. In order to do that, they would need to acquire all the talent they can this offseason. So why would the Chargers draft a QB with the no. 6 overall pick, just for him to sit on the bench, when instead they could draft a player at a different position that could contribute immediately?
While there is no guarantee that Brady is not on Los Angeles' list of potential QBs to acquire this offseason, this report suggests that, at the very least, Brady isn't their primary target at the position.
