Troy Aikman is beloved by fans of the Dallas Cowboys for winning three Super Bowls with the organization, but there was a chance he played elsewhere. Following his career with the Cowboys, Aikman considered playing for a number of teams before choosing to retire, according to Sam Farmer the Los Angeles Times.
Aikman spent 12 seasons in the NFL playing for one team, the Cowboys. After the 2000 season, the Hall-of-Fame quarterback was released by Dallas and was set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.
While talking to Farmer, Aikman said that he contemplated joining the San Diego Chargers (now Los Angeles). There were other teams that he expressed interest in as well.
While Aikman was in San Diego, he met with Norv Turner — who was the offensive coordinator of the Chargers in 2001. Earlier in his career, Aikman worked with Turner in Dallas when he was the offensive coordinator for the Cowboys.
After speaking with Turner, Aikman had a conversation with owner Dean Spanos about possibly joining the Chargers. In the end, the Chargers chose to sign Doug Flutie instead and Aikman decided to walk away from football.
Tom Brady is heading into a similar situation with the New England Patriots with his contract expiring. At 42-years-old, Brady still has the urge to compete in the NFL at a high level. Aikman once had the same competitive fire before joining the booth as a commentator.
Similarly to Aikman, the Chargers could become an option for Brady if New England chooses to let him walk in free agency. However, unlike Aikman, retirement doesn't seem to be a plausible option for Brady.
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