Tom Brady Rumors: QB's Reps Meeting with Raiders, Chargers, Colts at Combine

With the possibility of a return to the New England Patriots becoming increasingly doubtful, Tom Brady's agent plans to speak with representatives of prospective suitors. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that Don Yee expects to meet with the Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts, among others:

According to ESPN's Jeff Darlington, Brady is approaching the spring "under the belief that he will enter free agency to play somewhere other than New England next season."

Teams are forbidden from discussing contract terms with players' agents until March 16. However, that doesn't prevent the sides from opening a line of communication they can revisit at a later date.

At this point, Brady's exit from New England feels almost inevitable. Darlington wasn't the only reporter at the combine who indicated a breakup may loom on the horizon:

For a team with championship aspirations, the allure of signing Brady is obvious. He's one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history with six Super Bowl rings to his name.

However, the 42-year-old showed his first real signs of mortality in 2019. He threw for 4,057 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His 253.6 yards per game were his lowest since 2010, and his 60.8 percent completion rate was his worst since 2013.

Brady is approaching uncharted territory. No quarterback has appeared in more than eight games over the course of a season after turning 43 (Brady will be 43 in August), per Pro Football Reference.

The final seasons for Peyton Manning and Brett Favre showed how quickly things can unravel for great quarterbacks. Manning had nine touchdowns to 17 interceptions in 2015, while Favre averaged fewer than 200 yards (193) with 19 interceptions in 2010.

As much as signing Brady could elevate a team, it's also a move with the potential to backfire should he fail to beat Father Time once again in 2020.