The New England Patriots are potentially at a crossroads in their franchise. Superstar quarterback Tom Brady has decided not to retire. That being said, while he will be back in the NFL, it might not be with the Patriots.
Brady is currently a free agent, and there are obviously quite a few teams courting him.
If Brady does not return to New England, Ian Rapoport is reporting that there is belief the Patriots could strike up a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals for Andy Dalton.
From @NFLTotalAccess: A quick look at what's next for two QBs whose names could surface in trade talks — Cam Newton and Andy Dalton. pic.twitter.com/Z0mxQsFMPt
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 18, 2020
There are some big things to breakdown here.
First of all, there is still a very strong chance Brady returns to the Patriots. If that happens, any rumors of any other quarterbacks going there likely die immediately.
Then there's the fact that this is not a New England report. This is Rapoport reporting that there is a feeling around the league that this is what the Patriots would do.
Now of course, people inside the league have at the very least a vague idea what other teams are doing. So they might have strong reasons to believe this is New England's plan.
For now though, these are all reports.
Dalton certainly could make sense for the Patriots however. He's a veteran who has been to the playoffs and has some really good years under his belt.
You could argue he's declining, but if anyone can turn him into the star he never really became, it's Bill Belichick.
Dalton's not perfect, but Belichick is known for getting the most out of his players. And at just 32, there's a lot of football left in the quarterback. Maybe he figures it out in New England and helps keep the dynasty going for a while longer.
Or maybe they see him as a stop-gap for whatever quarterback they are looking to draft. It's impossible to tell on account of the situation we're discussing is itself still a hypothetical.
Just be on the lookout for any news coming out of New England, as it might not just be about Brady's future anymore.
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