NFL Free Agents 2020: Latest Tom Brady Rumors, Predictions for QB Market

Not everyone is going to view Tom Brady as the best NFL quarterback to ever play. However, he is unquestionably the most decorated. With six Super Bowl titles, thee league MVPs, four Super Bowl MVPs and 14 Pro Bowl appearances, Brady has reached the NFL pinnacle and then some.

What's remarkable is that, in the free-agency era, Brady has achieved all of his success with the New England Patriots.

If Brady continues playing in 2020, however, there's a real chance that he'll be doing so elsewhere.

According to ESPN's Mike Reiss, New England is undecided about Brady's future beyond this postseason.

"I talked to someone directly involved in that situation and they said it truly is a wait-and-see type of situation," Reiss said on Get Up!. "There's been no contract talk since August."

Technically, Brady has two years remaining on his contract, but they will automatically void on March 17. This means that Saturday's game against the Tennessee Titans may be the last one Brady plays in Foxborough, Massachusetts—at least, as a member of the home team.

Would Brady enter free agency if the Patriots do not retain him? It's possible. Brady has long stated his desire to play until his mid-40s, and he may want to prove that his success wasn't purely a product of the Patriots system. While most quarterbacks would be happy to earn six rings as a starting quarterback, Brady isn't most quarterbacks. He tends to use anything and everything possible as motivation.

Just take a look at Brady's congratulatory Tweet to Drew Brees from the regular season:

Brady has given no indication that the end is near, though some believe that his play on the field has.

"He's not the same player," a former NFL defensive coordinator told NFL Media's Bucky Brooks. "He's not as accurate and he's missing more throws than ever."

Not being the same player doesn't mean that Brady is a bad quarterback, not yet anyway. He could still be a huge asset for a potential contender due to his experience, football intelligence and leadership alone. The Denver Broncos won a Super Bowl with the Ghost of Peyton Manning under center. There's no reason to think that a talent-stacked team couldn't do the same with Brady.

There's also no reason to believe that Brady's subpar play in 2019 was strictly due to his decline. Brady has been dealing with an elbow injury, and the Patriots have been woefully lacking in receiving options.

So if Brady does hit the open market in March, someone is almost certainly going to take a chance on him. This means that Brady will likely play in 2020—whether in New England or elsewhere. He's too much of a competitor to quite if he feels he has something left to leave on the field.

Let's take a look at some other quarterbacks scheduled to hit the free-agent market.

Ryan Tannehill

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

The Titans are one team that might have some interest in Brady in free agency. Head coach Mike Vrabel has New England ties, and Tennessee is a playoff team. The Titans are also ready to move on from 2015 first-round pick Marcus Mariota, who was benched in favor of Ryan Tannehill during the regular season.

There's one reason why the Titans may not actually pursue Brady, however. It's Tannehill, who has played exceptionally in Tennessee this season. He went 7-3 as a starter and finished with a passer rating of 117.5, the fourth-highest season rating in league history.

If Tannehill can push the Titans through a postseason run, there's a strong chance that he becomes the team's new franchise quarterback. Even if the Titans fall to New England, Tennessee appears ready to give him an extended audition for the franchise role.

According to ESPN's Dianna Russini, the Titans are already discussing a long-term deal for Tannehill.

At 31 years old, Tannehill could potentially fill the starting role for the next 10 years. It's a possibility that Tannehill isn't likely to pass, even if he has a chance of getting a more lucrative offer in free agency.

Expect the Titans and Tannehill to reach an agreement before the market opens on March 18.

Jameis Winston

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Mariota was the second player drafted back in 2015. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made former Florida State signal-caller Jameis Winston the first.

While the Titans appear ready to close the book on the Mariota experiment, the Buccaneers have a decision to make. Winston has flashed a lot of talent during his time as a pro—he passed for 5,109 yards in 2019—but he has also made some maddening mistakes. Winston tossed 30 interceptions to go with 33 touchdown passes this past season.

Winston probably hasn't earned a long-term deal, especially after just one season with head coach Bruce Arians. If Arians has seen enough potential to give Winston a longer look, that look will likely last one more year. Then, and only then, might Arians commit to Winston long-term.

This meshes with a December report from NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, who stated that Winston is "slated to get tagged in some form."

If Arians has his choice, however, he may not be so keen on giving Winston the franchise or transition tag. He has openly criticized his quarterback more than once while openly praising others.

"I've always loved Teddy," Arians said of New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater back in October, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. "He's a good, solid player and should be a starter in this league."

This is far greater praise than Arians recently gave Winston.

"You look at it and there's so much good and so much outright terrible," Arians said, per Stroud.

Bridgewater—coincidentally or not—is scheduled to become a free agent, along with Tannehill, Brady, Mariota, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and others.

With Tampa owning more than $91 million in projected cap space, it wouldn't come as a surprise to see the Buccaneers tag Winston and explore other long-term options in free agency and the draft.

*All contract and cap information via Spotrac