There's a good chance Tom Brady is done with Patriots

He has been the face of the franchise for two decades, a quarterback who has lifted the Patriots to unprecedented heights and has the most accomplished resume of any player in the 100-year history of the NFL.

But there is a very real chance that Tom Brady’s last pass in a Patriots uniform was that interception in the final seconds of the 20-13 loss to the Titans in a wild-card playoff game at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 4.

With Brady set to become a free agent for the first time in his career, there is a growing belief around the league that he will be playing elsewhere in 2020.

And with several other quarterback moves to be made with prominent veterans Philip Rivers, Cam Newton, Jameis Winston, Teddy Bridgewater and others — not to mention the influx of blue-chip passers Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert in the draft — there will be a seismic change at the most important position in the game.

It starts with Brady.

There still is time for Brady and the Patriots to work out a deal before he hits free agency, and owner Robert Kraft has expressed an interest in keeping him. But after the signing period begins at 4 p.m. on March 18, Brady may very well affix his name to a contract with a team other than New England for the first time since he was the team’s sixth-round draft pick in 2000.

In the immediate aftermath of the Patriots’ playoff loss, my sense was that Brady would be back for at least one more season with Bill Belichick. Brady himself said he wasn’t ready to retire, and he made a point of lavishing praise on the only franchise for which he has played. But he’ll be 43 when the 2020 season begins, and the feeling I’ve gotten around the league is that he won’t be back.

Whether that is the Patriots’ choice or Brady’s choice — or both — remains to be seen. But the bottom line is that life after Brady may be about to begin in New England.

So where would Brady end up if the divorce with the Patriots is completed?

There are several options.

Among the teams that either will be or could be in the market for a different starter in 2020: the Patriots, Raiders, Chargers, Titans, Colts, Panthers, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Redskins, Bears and Bengals. That’s a lot of uncertainty at the position, and it means there could be plenty of volatility in the offseason.

Brady will appeal most to the Raiders, who might be ready to replace Derek Carr despite their outward support; the Chargers, who have moved on from Rivers; the Titans, who got to the AFC Championship Game with Ryan Tannehill but could use an upgrade and whose coach, Mike Vrabel, is a former Brady teammate, and the Colts, who were rocked last year by Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement.

The Colts certainly are a competitive team with a good situation for a quarterback, but it’s doubtful that Brady would want to play in small-market Indianapolis. The Titans are intriguing, especially with the Vrabel connection, and there is a lot to like about a team coming off an impressive playoff run. But again, would Brady be content to play in an NFL outpost, notwithstanding a growing market in Nashville?

That’s why it might come down to the Raiders, who will move to Las Vegas and need a marquee draw to build a following, and the Chargers, who play in Los Angeles and are desperate to create more buzz in a market that barely embraced the team after its move from San Diego in 2018. The Chargers will move into a new stadium built by Rams owner Stan Kroenke, and after the team parted ways with Rivers, a Brady signing undoubtedly would inject some much-needed enthusiasm into the franchise.

One other factor to consider: The Raiders and Chargers play in big-market locations that would appeal to Brady and his wife, Giselle Bundchen.

If there isn’t a Brady reunion in New England, the AFC West might provide his next-best opportunity. Give a slight edge to the Raiders, who have the money and the roster to appeal to Brady.

Brady is likely to be the first domino to fall, but there are several moves to come afterward:

Rivers’ best options are in Tampa, where the Buccaneers don’t appear sold long-term on Winston, who might be given a transition designation to temporarily limit his negotiating rights with other teams, or Carolina, which is not expected to retain Newton. The Colts might be interested, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Rivers attracts attention from New England, although Belichick might be ready to move to a significantly younger quarterback, possibly Saints backups Bridgewater or Taysom Hill, now that Drew Brees will return to New Orleans in 2020.

Chicago has been underwhelmed by former first-round quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, and the Redskins still have questions about 2019 first-round passer Dwayne Haskins, although both teams can stand pat. At least for the time being.

What might limit some options for the quarterbacks not named Brady is the expected influx of elite college quarterbacks Burrow, Tagovailoa and Herbert. The Bengals likely will take Burrow at No. 1 overall, although the LSU star’s ambivalent statements about playing in Cincinnati could prompt them to consider trades. Five teams in the top seven — Cincinnati at No. 1, Detroit at No. 3, Miami at No. 5, the Chargers at No. 6 and Carolina at No. 7— have a potential need at quarterback.

There aren’t enough to go around, and the Lions and Panthers might look elsewhere, but it would be a shock to see any of the top three quarterbacks fall out of the top 10.

All of which means this will be one of the most consequential quarterback offseasons in recent memory. Starting with the most decorated quarterback in NFL history.

By Bob Glauber

Special to NewsdayBobGlauber

Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”