NFL Legends Brees, Brady Have Big Decisions To Make In Free Agency Period

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning hung up his cleats, and now there are three more iconic quarterbacks that have a big decision to make this fall on where they will play next fall.

The trio in question are Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and Philip Rivers; all three are unrestricted free agents this fall, and as for Brady, his most recent contract does not allow for the Patriots to use either the franchise or transitional tag.

KSL Unrivaled made its best-educated guess as to where these three will end up in 2020.

These three quarterbacks have meant a lot for their franchises over the years and it would be quite odd to see them in a different uniform like Brett Favre with the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, Joe Namath with the L.A. Chargers, Emmitt Smith with the Arizona Cardinals, and even seeing Peyton Manning win a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos looked odd.

KSL Sports’ Scott Mitchell is a former 12-year NFL quarterback and has said multiple times on-air that he and other NFL players want to play as long as possible and would do nearly anything to keep playing. So, no one can blame Brady, Brees, and Rivers if they want to keep playing on another team.

2020, and still here. #LFG pic.twitter.com/wfsCqibss1

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) January 1, 2020

Mitchell wants to see these players go somewhere and bring an entertaining product to the field.

Drew Brees To The Colts?

This one is the most interesting for local fans as former BYU quarterback Taysom Hill is on the Saints roster and could be in the mix to take over for Brees, and especially so if backup Teddy Bridgewater leaves the Saints.

Mitchell wants Brees to stay in an indoor environment and go to the Indianapolis Colts.

Russell Wilson & Drew Brees, Pro Bowl 2013 & 2020 pic.twitter.com/vL39eQBZxo

— Sam HawkBadger (@hwkbgr) January 24, 2020

“Drew Brees to the Indianapolis Colts,” Mitchell said. “They are on quarterback away from actually winning. He is an indoor guy so he gets to stay inside, and I don’t think he can handle being outside very much.”

KSL Sports’ Alex Kirry brings up the entertainment value of this exercise and would love to see Brees take Brady’s spot in New England.

“He would go to the Super Bowl, and everyone would say, ‘oh, so it wasn’t Tom Brady and it was the system and Bill Belichick,'” Kirry said. “Tom Brady then goes down a notch for that.”

Brees has a plethora of NFL records, including most passing yards, touchdowns, and he is a Super Bowl champion. There is not much left to prove outside of playing the game he loves.

5️⃣4️⃣0️⃣@drewbrees is the all-time leader in passing touchdowns! 👏 #Saints
 
📺: #INDvsNO on ESPN
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app
Watch free on mobile: https://t.co/sWmUbeqQpz pic.twitter.com/U04iyNHtRx

— NFL (@NFL) December 17, 2019

Brees did give a hint of what his future might hold ahead of the Pro Bowl by saying a decision on his future is not too far away.

“I’m really waiting until football is totally done,” Brees told The Times-Picayune prior to the Pro Bowl. “Obviously being here, I’m just very much focused on my family and this opportunity to be around the guys, playing the game.

“Then, I’ll kind of lay low for a little bit, get away and then assess. I kind of have a process in mind. And I’ll give it a month or so.”

This could mean absolutely nothing about Brees’ future or just a lot of respect, but NFC starting quarterback Russell Wilson decided to give Brees the starting job in the Pro Bowl.

Tuck Rule Goes Full Circle

Kirry makes his pick for Brady and it is going to the Las Vegas Raiders and it all has to do with the “Tuck Rule” from the 2001 playoff game between the Patriots and the Oakland Raiders.

That fumble that was later reviewed to be an incomplete pass can be traced to the start of the Patriots dynasty.

“Just 100 percent based on the ‘Tuck Rule,’ the history that is there,” Kirry said. “He is going to Vegas, it is splashy and it is as good as you can do when it comes to promoting a new team. Look, Derek Carr has been very serviceable but he is the Phillip Rivers of the Raiders.”

Mitchell agreed with Kirry but for different and better reasons.

“When [head coach Jon] Gruden gets in the meetings and says, ‘knock on wood if you are with me’ and then Tom doesn’t knock on the wood,” Mitchell said. “Tom then says, ‘why am I with you, you haven’t won anything? Let’s do it my way and when you are with me then we will knock on wood.'”

"Knock on wood if you're with me."#HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/hbw4BJDGvK

— NFL (@NFL) August 28, 2019

Despite winning as many Super Bowls and awards, Brady still wants to keep playing as if he has not won much.

“I know I still have more to prove,” Brady said on his Instagram page.

Philip Rivers Opens A BBQ Joint?

Rivers is the bottom of this list in comparison to Brady and Brees so Kirry and Mitchell have some fun with his final destination as an NFL quarterback. The former two have had much better careers than Rivers who is likely to be on the fringe of being in the Hall of Fame.

It has been reported that the Chargers have moved on from Rivers.

Philip Rivers just poured his heart out.

Wow.

(via @Chargers)pic.twitter.com/ZIWZMnVu4x

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 29, 2019

“This is an easy one,” Mithcell said. “Phillip Rivers is from North Carolina he goes to the Carolina Panthers,” Mitchell said. “What he does is opens up Rivers Barbeque in Carolina style.”

Taking over for Cam Newton but then having one of the most versatile players in the NFL in Christian McCaffery would lead to a smooth transition.

Kirry provided a lateral move to the Tennessee Titans and be a Ryan Tannehill clone handing the ball off to Derrick Henry.

“He would actually do really well there with the play-action would work there with his old bones and be way better than Tannehill,” Kirry said.

Free agency begins on March 18 at 4 p.m. ET but from the 16-18th clubs can talk with unrestricted players to work on a potential deal.

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