For the first time in the last nine seasons, the New England Patriots will sit out this year’s AFC title game. In that eight-year run, they won three Super Bowls and lost two more. This span also includes a trio of losses in the AFC Championship Game.
Also, for the first time since 2001, there is a big question mark concerning the Patriots’ starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2021 regular season. Tom Brady has been at the helm for the past two decades, but he will become an unrestricted free agent in mid-March.
You would think that it is a no-brainer to bring him back with another huge contract. However, at age 42, there are no guarantees that will happen. Brady has stated that he would still like to play a few more seasons. The sentiment has neither been shared nor disputed by long-time head coach Bill Belichick.
As New England enters an era of uncertainty for the first time in 20 years, 5Dimes online sportsbook has weighed in with a set on NFL futures odds covering Brady’s next team.
The Odds-On Favorite
As expected, the future Hall of Famer is likely to be under center for New England as the starting quarterback next season. The odds he re-signs with the Patriots have been set at -700. The high risk in the number does drain the value, but it is hard to see Brady and Belichick parting ways at this point in each one’s advanced NFL career.
Top Landing Spots
None the less, this is the NFL, and anything can still happen. With another veteran quarterback’s sudden demise, the next team on the list at +250 is the Los Angeles Chargers. Late in a season going nowhere, there was serious talk of benching Philip Rivers for poor play. With his future up in the air at age 38, the Chargers could turn to Brady to get this team back into Super Bowl contention after going 5-11. Los Angeles was 12-4 in 2018, so the overall base of talent remains high.
Catering to the betting public, the Las Vegas Raiders are next on the list as +475 third-favorites. It has become a running cliché that aging superstars end their career as a Raider. However, it would be hard to see Brady going this route.
Current head coach Jon Gruden is still bent on turning Derek Carr into a true franchise quarterback, and the lure of the team’s move to Las Vegas does not appear to be Brady’s style.
Betting a Longshot
The odds drop off from there with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next on the list at +1250. The Indianapolis Colts follow at +1500, and both the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints are in the mix at +2000.
None of those teams make all that much sense for a variety of reasons. Tampa Bay may be ready to move on from Jameis Winston, but the Bucs would not be an instant Super Bowl contender even with Brady under center.
The Vikings took a step forward this season with Kirk Cousins, and there is still some fight in the old dog in New Orleans with Drew Brees at the helm. The Colts would be the only logical longshot on the list but, at best, a long reach
If you are looking to move away from New England, the +1200 odds that Brady retires could be a viable play.
I can’t see either Brady or Belichick going out on such a disappointing note in the recent loss to Tennessee in the Wild Card Round. Pencil both in for at least one more run at another Super Bowl title.
