There isn't a more interesting story in the NFL right now than Tom Brady's situation with the New England Patriots.

While the idea of Brady leaving the only franchise he has ever known seems unfathomable, there appears to be a legitimate chance that the 42-year-old could leave the Patriots in free agency next month.

One former quarterback who certainly knows a thing or two about spending your entire NFL career with one team is John Elway, who played for the Denver Broncos for 17 seasons before retiring.

Now the Broncos' general manager, Elway spoke out on Brady's circumstances on Tuesday, saying that he hopes Brady ultimately returns to New England:

“Thinking just from my point of view I hope not,” Elway said when asked about the possibility of Brady leaving the Pats, according to Mark Daniels of The Providence Journal. “That’s up to Tom. When you think of Tom, Tom’s always going to be a New England Patriot.”

Brady was originally drafted by the Patriots back in 2000 and became the team's starting quarterback in 2001.

Since then, Brady has become regarded as the greatest quarterback in NFL history, leading New England to six Super Bowl championships while making 14 Pro Bowl appearances and notching three MVP awards along the way.

However, this past season, Father Time began catching up to Brady, as he threw for 4,057 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing just 60.8 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 88.

As a result, Brady missed the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2008, when he played in just one game due to a torn ACL.