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Tom Brady needs to stay away from the Los Angeles Chargers

By Steven Haglund

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots yells to teammates on the field during the the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots yells to teammates on the field during the the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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With the LA Chargers officially moving on from Philip Rivers, all attention is shifting toward the future. Tom Brady should not be a part of it.

Even before Monday’s news about the team moving on from quarterback Philip Rivers became official, it has been rumored that Tom Brady would be potentially interested in playing in Los Angeles for the Chargers.

As of writing this, those are still rumors. There’s talk of both sides being interested in meeting once free agency starts. It makes sense that the Chargers would be exploring all possible avenues in terms of replacing Rivers, the man who has been their starting quarterback for the last 14 seasons.

That being said, there should be no further thought of actually signing Brady after the initial meeting. To be frank, Brady does not belong in Los Angeles nor does he fit what the Chargers need going forward.

While many of us were a bit confused at how the team used its picks in the 2019 draft when they took a defensive tackle who they knew was going to miss most of the offseason, a developmental offensive tackle in round three, and a clear project quarterback in round five.

What most of us seemed to miss is that those were clear signs that the team was drafting for the future, a trend that could continue next season. The team seems to be transitioning into a retooling period with young players looking to step into roles at almost every key position, and they do have quite a talented young core.

Why then would you replace and an old veteran quarterback with an even older veteran quarterback? It doesn’t exactly fit with the youth movement going on.

Cardale Jones, Geno Smith, Tyrod Taylor, and Easton Stick are the other quarterbacks that have been on the roster in recent years. What do they all have in common? Athleticism and mobility outside of the pocket.

Throw in the rumors that have connected the Chargers to Marcus Mariota, Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton and there is enough evidence there to identify the pattern. Anthony Lynn and his staff want to get creative with a dual-threat quarterback.

We’ve seen glimpses of it in the past but this past season we saw the kinds of packages and plays that they want to be running going forward. Taylor had a good amount of playing time against Jacksonville where the team lined up in a variety of packages, including this pistol zone-read option featured below.

With that mobile quarterback, the team would be able to use them in a way that would keep defenses guessing but also be able move the pocket, which will help take the pressure off what is likely to be a young offensive line.

Suffice it to say that Brady does not fit that mold. He is smart and savvy enough to move around the pocket similar to Rivers but with Brady, you’re still probably looking at another season of giving up around 30 sacks.

Pistol option, oh so beautiful. pic.twitter.com/CfdAnwvJ7f

— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) December 9, 2019

Lastly, Brady has crushed our dreams as Chargers fans on many occasions. The 2006 Chargers team is arguably the best team in franchise history after going 14-2 and seeing running back LaDanian Tomlinson break the scoring record and win MVP, who ended their season? Brady and the Patriots, in one of the most heartbreaking losses of all time.

The 2007 Patriots were one of the best teams of all time after going 16-0 on the shoulders of Brady and Randy Moss. The Chargers weren’t even able to have the chance of a level playing field after Rivers, Tomlinson and Antonio Gates were all battling fierce lower-body injuries.

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Still, Rivers played through a torn ACL and put out one of the gutsiest performances that Chargers fans have ever seen, endearing him in our hearts forever. Then comes 2018, the best season of the 2010s.

The Chargers seemed to be a freight train, ready to roll through the AFC until they yet again had their hearts broken by Brady and the Patriots, this time in blowout fashion. Can Chargers fans really stomach the idea of this man donning the powder blues in the twilight of his career?

I sure can’t and let’s hope the Chargers front office feels the same. The Chargers need a fresh start heading into their first season in SoFi Stadium. Brady is not that, and he does not fit in the slightest what the team is looking for in its future signal-caller.

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