Report: Patriots consider Chargers their only real threat to sign Tom Brady

The New England Patriots know there is at least a chance Tom Brady could bid farewell to them and sign with another team this offseason, but apparently they are confident they are one of only two legitimate suitors for the 42-year-old quarterback.

The Patriots believe the Los Angeles Chargers are the only real option for Brady outside of New England, according to Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal. There have been other teams mentioned as potential players in the Brady sweepstakes, but are any of them realistic options?

There has been a lot of buzz about Brady potentially becoming the face of the Raiders in their new Las Vegas stadium, but Bedard does not see Brady wanting to start fresh in Jon Gruden’s offense with “all that verbiage.” The Titans have also been mentioned in connection with Brady, but Brady reportedly told some of his teammates during the Patriots’ joint practices with Tennessee that he thought the Titans’ offensive system was “laughable.”

What about the Miami Dolphins? If Brady leaves the Patriots, he will almost certainly want to sign with a team that is a quarterback away from championship contention. Even he has to know that he couldn’t elevate the Dolphins that much at this stage in his career. There have been some rumors about Brady potentially wanting an ownership stake in an NFL franchise after he retires and the Dolphins being open to that arrangement, but that seems farfetched.

That leaves the Chargers, who have reportedly decided to move on from Philip Rivers and have some talented offensive pieces in place. They’re also moving to a brand new stadium in Los Angeles, and they could offer Brady endless new endorsement opportunities.

Brady has opted to troll fans on social media rather than giving any hints about his future. There have been some positive signs for Patriots fans over the past couple of weeks, but the situation will become more complicated the longer it drags out.