Tom Brady will be 46 by the time the 2023 NFL season kicks off. Following his Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing at home to the Dallas Cowboys to cap off Super Wild Card Weekend, the speculation regarding Brady’s future has begun. For someone who’s already been pushing the athletic longevity of the human body for years now, it remains unclear whether there’s one more chapter to be written in the history of the greatest quarterback of all time. That said, if he does stick around, let’s consider where Tom Brady might sign.
Where Should Tom Brady Sign Next Season?
Brady is set to be an unrestricted free agent headed into next season, and as is the norm in the NFL, there are a handful of teams that find themselves desperate for a starting quarterback. So who would be the most likely suitors in such a scenario? Where would Brady be offered the best chance at success in 2023? Let’s walk through a few potential landing spots, using the crystal ball of Madden 23 to look into the future.
Note: There’s no way of knowing exactly how much money would entice Brady to play another season, but in Madden 23 it looks as if the magic number is about $28 million to keep him from hanging up the cleats.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Brady OVR: 84
- Team OVR: 79 (80 on offense)
- Key Offseason Moves: Release Donovan Smith to create the cap room to re-sign Brady on a roster without a lot of financial wiggle room.
- 2023 Record: 13-4 (2nd in division to Falcons)
- Brady Stats: 69% completion percentage, 5,546 yards, 48 TDs, 8 INTs
- Top Receiver: Chris Godwin (1,264 yards)
Season Snapshot: If Brady wants to turn around and re-up for one more run with the Bucs, Madden 23 envisions that being a nearly magical run. On a personal level, Brady throws for a league-leading 48 TDs and earns MVP honors yet again. From a team perspective, the Bucs head out on the road for the playoffs after being beaten out by the Falcons for the division and win a string of nailbiters.
It starts with a 38-37 over the Packers in the Wild Card round (without a retired Aaron Rodgers), 37-31 over the 49ers in the divisional round, and finally 33-28 over their rival Falcons in the NFC Championship game (what a turnaround for the AFC South too). Sadly, the miracle season ends with a 35-24 defeat at the hands of the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Would it be a satisfying end for Brady to get all the way back to the Super Bowl only to come up just short?
Las Vegas Raiders
- Brady OVR: 83
- Team OVR: 82 (84 on offense)
- Key Offseason Moves: Re-sign RB Josh Jacobs, sign free agent TE Dalton Schultz, WR Kendrick Bourne, G Will Hernandez, T Bryan Bulaga
- 2023 Record: 12-5 (2nd in division to Chiefs)
- Brady Stats: 63% completion percentage, 4,871 yards, 36 TDs, 12 INTs
- Top Receiver: Davante Adams (1,377 yards)
Season Snapshot: Madden 23 believes that a reunion in Vegas with former New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could lead to some success as well. By bringing back Josh Jacobs to take some of the pressure off Brady and adding potent offensive weapons like Dalton Schultz and Kendrick Bourne, Brady has the Raiders nearly keeping pace with the Chiefs in the competitive AFC West.
A playoff run on the road starts in Jacksonville with a 41-38 triumph, then has Brady going back to New England and coming out with a 34-24 victory before heading to Kansas City for an inevitable showdown with the Chiefs where Brady comes out on top 45-38. Just as with a Bucs return though, Brady can’t quite capture one more Super Bowl as he comes up short 49-39 in a shootout versus the Cowboys.
New York Jets
- Brady OVR: 83
- Team OVR: 81 OVR (80 on offense)
- Key Offseason Moves: None, other than signing Brady
- 2023 Record: 9-8 (2nd in division to Patriots)
- Brady Stats: 63% completion percentage, 4,502 yards, 33 TDs, 10 INTs
- Top Receiver: Corey Davis (1,128 yards)
Season Snapshot: Things start to get a little worse when you try to transplant Brady to the Big Apple. As if you need more proof that his floor is better than the average player’s ceiling, Brady still manages to guide the team to a winning record and a playoff berth despite limping to a 1-6 start to the season. The duo of Corey Davis and Garrett Wilson proves to be a dangerous one with Brady involved, as both receivers top 1,000 yards for the season.
Even the greatest quarterback of all time is unable to transform the Jets into contenders come playoff time though. Patrick Mahomes has the honor of ending Brady’s career in a 42-21 Chiefs win on Wild Card Weekend. As the two quarterbacks embrace at midfield following the game, Brady whispers to Mahomes, “If it had to be anyone, I’m glad it was you.”
New England Patriots
- Brady OVR: 86 (!?)
- Team OVR: 83 OVR (83 on offense)
- Key Offseason Moves: Sign free agents CB James Bradberry, WR Juju Smith-Schuster, T Terence Steele
- 2023 Record: 8-9 (2nd in division to Bills)
- Brady Stats: 66% completion percentage, 4,731 yards, 31 TDs, 10 INTs
- Top Receiver: Juju Smith-Schuster (1,206 yards)
Season Snapshot: As appealing as a reunion with Bill Belichick in New England might sound to bring some symmetry to Brady’s career, the reality does not come with a fairy-tale ending. Instead, Brady and the team endure the ups and downs of an 8-9 season that sees them finishing just outside the playoff picture. Offseason acquisition Juju Smith-Schuster is just the shiny new toy the team hopes he will be though, as he and Davante Parker both break the 1,000-yard mark for the year.
In a surprise move, Belichick and Brady both announce their retirements in a joint press conference following the season and subsequently move into a Florida mansion to live out the rest of their lives together.
Washington Commanders
- Brady OVR: 83
- Team OVR: 82 (84 on offense)
- Key Offseason Moves: Sign free agents HB Miles Sanders, WR Michael Thomas, TE Austin Hooper, G Isaac Seumalo
- 2023 Record: 7-10 (3rd in division behind Cowboys and Giants)
- Brady Stats: 68% completion percentage, 5,128 yards, 38 TDs, 17 INTs
- Top Receiver: Terry McLaurin (1,508 yards)
Season Snapshot: In what surely must be considered the darkest of timelines, Brady fails to rescue the Commanders from irrelevance in the NFC East. A significant investment in the offense that lands running back Miles Sanders and wide receiver Michael Thomas beside Brady can only get the team to a 7-10 record. Brady’s 17 interceptions are a new career high for the QB and perhaps a clear indicator that the end might finally be at hand.
Commanders owner Dan Snyder still offers Brady $40 million to return for one more year, but Brady declines and eventually gains 50 pounds over the next six months after re-discovering a love for pizza as a color analyst for FOX Sports.
