The careers of two incredible franchise quarterbacks could be coming to an end. Or maybe they won't be. Both Philip Rivers and Tom Brady have left the door wide open on their future. The Los Angeles Chargers season ended after Week 16, while the New England Patriots got to play one postseason game before being eliminated. The quarterbacks on both sides admitted that their future is uncertain.
Brady is the big story. He has won more playoff games than any quarterback in history. He has six Super Bowl wins and is highly regarded as the best quarterback to ever play the game. Rivers has had a great career with the Chargers, but he was never able to win that big game. Brady is preparing to become a free agent for the first time in his career this offseason. He has been linked to a few teams including the Chargers.
Could the Chargers and Patriots opt to switch quarterbacks at this stage of their careers?
Would Rivers to the Patriots make sense?
This would not be a trade. Both quarterbacks are available in free agency and could sign with any team. It is hard to imagine either one of these players in another uniform. If the Patriots decide to move on from Brady, could they pursue Rivers?
It would not make too much sense. Brady is 42 years old and Rivers is just four years younger. New England, particularly Bill Belichick, has been searching for Brady's replacement since back in the Jimmy Garoppolo days. If you remember, Belichick did not want to trade Garoppolo. When replacing Brady, one would think that they would look for a young player in the draft. If they do so, keeping Brady for another year or two seems like the most logical option.
The Chargers hold the sixth pick in the draft and have been linked to may quarterbacks. Tua Tagovailoa has officially declared for the draft and could be a solid option for Los Angeles at six.
The bottom line is that this seems like a lateral move for both sides. These are two teams that have had the luxury of a franchise quarterback for many years. That time is not officially up yet. Once it is, they should move on and work on getting younger.
If the question is could Rivers replace Brady? Yes, anything can happen at any time, but it is unlikely and would not make much sense for the Patriots.