Tom Brady can officially become a free agent in less than six weeks, plenty of time for more rampant speculation about what the Patriots have to do to keep him and which teams may pursue the 42-year-old quarterback.
The Chargers have been consistently linked with Brady as they appear to be done with Philip Rivers, who recently moved his family to Florida. Los Angeles is set to open its new shared stadium with the Rams this year and could use a big splash to lure more fans after it moved from San Diego in 2017.
There’s a new wrinkle, however, to their quarterback pursuit. Buzz is building about a potential Chargers trade for Panthers star Cam Newton, according to Bleacher Report.
Carolina could choose to move on from Newton and go with Kyle Allen or Will Grier. Newton, 30, would give the Chargers a proven quarterback for 2020, something they may want even if they decide to draft a potential franchise signal-caller at No. 6 in the 2020 NFL Draft, which Bleacher Report says is likely.
A Chargers trade for Newton would give Brady, who can become a free agent on March 18, one less option in free agency, possibly giving the Patriots a little more leverage — or opening the door for the Chargers’ division rival Raiders as they move to Las Vegas.
The Titans have been ruled out as a possibility for Brady with Ryan Tannehill expected to stay in Nashville — where students at a prep school recently sparked a rumor by mistaking a woman for Brady’s wife, Gisele Bündchen.