New Orleans Saints: Free agent QB Tom Brady may head to NFC South

Quarterback Tom Brady announced that he would be departing New England after nine Super Bowl appearances and six championships as a Patriot. It could impact the New Orleans Saints

Brady took to Instagram to reveal that he had discussed his future with the Patriots, and he thanked his teammates, coaches and the fans for the two-decade run they shared together. And, now, could his next step be with as a New Orleans Saints’ rival?

With that announcement, two teams remain in the running for the future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback, including a division rival of the New Orleans Saints.

Both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Chargers expressed interest in Brady, and both have compelling cases to land him.

For the Chargers, the franchise has moved on from Philip Rivers, where it is reported that the Indianapolis Colts may sign him and has plenty of cap room to give Brady a bulk-load of cash.

Plus, Los Angeles is a major media market and is the home state of Brady, growing up in San Mateo.

The Chargers have a team with emerging talent, like running back Austin Ekeler and wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

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Rivers made some costly mistakes at the end of games throughout his time with the Chargers, so Brady stepping into a brand new stadium in 2020 (shared between the Chargers and Rams), in his home state, with plenty of talent and cap space (reportedly $50M) and in a huge market could entice him to head to California.

On the other side is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have been the perennial last-place team in the NFC South for at least the past decade.

Quarterback Jameis Winston has been mired in mediocrity as best with his play, like throwing for 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions last year.

However, the team has the talent to boast about, like wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, both recording 1,000-yard receiving seasons with Winston.

Running back Melvin Gordon may head to Tampa Bay as it is reported that his three targeted teams are the Buccaneers, Dolphins, and Falcons.

Brady’s reasons to come to Florida would be for the warmer weather instead of the cold he experienced in New England, two Pro Bowl wideouts and a pretty easy division outside of the New Orleans Saints.

A Brady/Brees divisional matchup would make for incredible TV ratings, but unfortunately, the NFL has been close to a few Brady/Brees Super Bowl matchups and hasn’t gotten one.

So, Brady will decide between California and Florida as perhaps the final destination of his incredible career, as he aims for a few more rings before hanging it up.