LA Chargers: Why signing Tom Brady was never a good idea

Future Contract Extensions

The biggest problem for the Chargers had they signed Brady would’ve been the contract extensions for some of their top talent over the next one or two years. To put it bluntly, it simply wouldn’t have been financially manageable.

Joey Bosa is making $14 million on his fifth-year option in 2020. If the Chargers want to re-sign him, the offer is probably going to have to be a solid $10 million in average annual value more than that. Allen is also a free agent, as is Melvin Ingram. Did I mention Hunter Henry? Oh yeah, Desmond King too.

The Chargers probably can’t re-sign all of those players anyway. But, the cap crunch gets undoubtedly harder when paying a quarterback $30 million for the next two seasons.

Working with Taylor over the next year as the bridge quarterback to lead into an efficient rookie quarterback contract simply makes the most sense. The Chargers wouldn’t be able to manage cap without shedding talent with Brady.

Frankly, if it comes with shedding talent, a declined Brady simply isn’t worth $30 million. Perhaps it makes more sense for the Buccaneers, who had about $40 million more than the Chargers to spend heading into free agency. It gets in the way of the long term vision of the team.

Also, remember that he would’ve had roster control over the team for the next one or two years. There’s no part of me that honestly desires Brady determining which Chargers are extended over the long haul, even if he only plays two years.