Brady lines up against the Carolina Panthers in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium.
(Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters)
(CNN) --
One of the biggest stories that will dominate the NFL offseason will be where will Tom Brady be playing next season?
The 45-year-old quarterback just finished one of his most turbulent seasons, both on and off the field, which ended with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being beaten by the Dallas Cowboys in the
playoffs.
Brady, who is a free agent and therefore can sign anywhere, remained coy about what was in store for him after the loss.
"I'm going to go home and get the best sleep I can tonight," Brady told reporters.
"It's just been a big focus in this game, so it's going to be one day at a time, really."
He came across as philosophical in addressing his emotions after the
playoff
loss .
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“It just feels like the end of the season,” he said.
“I love this organization.
It's a great place to be.
Thank you all for welcoming me.
I am very grateful for the respect and I hope I have returned the same.”
So, let's take a look at Brady's rocky season and where, if at all, he might play next season.
"As you get older, life changes a lot": Tom Brady reflects on how his life evolves
Brady lines up against the Carolina Panthers in the first quarter, at Raymond James Stadium.
(Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters)
How was Brady's year?
Brady is synonymous with victory.
The legendary quarterback has won seven Super Bowl rings and is the winningest player of his career.
But this season, Brady and the Bucs found it a little harder to win.
The team finished with an 8-9 record, with many of its stars not performing at the level that helped them win a title two seasons ago.
Brady himself didn't look like his stolid self, either, with unusual errors and uncharacteristic mistimes creeping into Tampa Bay's offense.
Either Father Time caught up with him or his life off the field affected his game: Brady divorced Gisele Bundchen, his wife of 13 years, in mid-2022, and hasn't looked the same unfazed since.
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In an appearance on his weekly "Let's Go!" podcast in November, Brady was asked if he's had trouble balancing his NFL game with his personal life, to which Brady said "that's being a pro."
“I have dealt with many challenging situations on and off the field over 23 years, and many of them play out in front of many people,” he explained.
“So I think what's interesting for a football player and an athlete in general is that you're out there, I always say we're not actors even though we're on TV.
That's our real selves out there.
“We are trying to do the best we can.
That's how people have really gotten to know me over the years by being on TV, and that's the authentic me that's out there to compete with my teammates every day and you're giving it your all. to the team.
“Everyone is going through different things.
We all have our unique challenges in life.
We're all human.
We do the best we can do,” she added.
After 18 up-and-down weeks, Brady put in one of the worst performances of his
playoff
career against the Cowboys, looking insecure and out of sorts -- adjectives not generally used to describe him.
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Brady celebrates after the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017. (Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images)
Could Brady re-announce his retirement?
You would be right to think that you remember Brady retiring from the NFL.
In February 2022, the former New England Patriots player announced he was retiring before changing his mind several weeks later and announcing he would return for a 23rd season.
As he gets older, Brady becomes more philosophical about life and his relationship with sports.
“I don't think life is the ultimate joy.
I don't think life is always the ultimate pain.
I don't think life is the last fight,” he said in September.
“Your life comes and goes;
Through the clouds and through the sun and through the rain and through the beautiful days.
And you cherish the moments and find joy in the little things,” she said.
And with his 24th season on the horizon and a free agent, retirement from the NFL could be a very real prospect.
If he is to retire, his next steps in the sport already seem planned after he signed a 10-year deal worth $375 million to become Fox Sports' top NFL analyst last year.
It's a path well trodden by many former players, including the Manning brothers and Tony Romo, and it could help Brady find the next chapter of his life in the sport in which he has spent more than half his life.
Brady reacts after a play against the Dallas Cowboys, during the fourth quarter, in the NFC Wild Card playoff game. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Could Brady play elsewhere?
Although it hasn't been a classic Brady season, he's still shown he can perform at the highest level.
And he rules out that Brady is going to go at his own risk.
The legendary quarterback is now free to sign with whatever team he wants after the end of the 2022 season, when his contract with the Bucs ended.
If Brady is going to return to the field, he's likely to select a team with a built-to-win environment right away, since he presumably doesn't have many years left in his career.
However, how many times have we said that?
There have been a few teams tied to signing Brady, including the return of Bill Belichick and the Patriots or the Miami Dolphins, but two teams in particular stand out because of the connections that already exist.
First, the Tennessee Titans, whose quarterback Ryan Tannehill is a free agent this offseason, are coming off their own disappointing year, but they have a team full of veterans and a head coach, Mike Vrabel, who played with Brady in New England for seven years.
However, the leading candidate is the Las Vegas Raiders.
They indicated they would move on from their starting quarterback, Derek Carr, this offseason when they benched him for the final two weeks of the year, with Carr saying a heartfelt goodbye after Week 18.
Brady speaking with Josh McDaniels at the New England Patriots vs. New York Jets game on September 22, 2019. Brady was the Patriots' quarterback at the time and McDaniels was the team's offensive coordinator. (Credit: Kathryn Riley/Getty Images North America/Getty Images)
With former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as head coach, the pair had an almost symbiotic connection during their trophy-filled career in New England, so fitting into the team's offense would be perfect.
The Raiders have plenty of offensive firepower -- Davante Adams, Darren Waller, and Hunter Renfrow all waiting to catch passes -- and the defense has playmakers, too.
Not to mention the allure of gambling in Las Vegas.
And how cool would it be to see Brady in the Raiders' famed Silver and Black?
It's just an option that could happen in the future of the GOAT.
Tom Brady