Why Tom Brady’s retirement is good news for the Chicago Bears
Stop me if you heard this before. Tom Brady announced his retirement. Again.
On Wednesday morning, Brady took to social media to announce his decision.
Truly grateful on this day. Thank you 🙏🏻❤️ pic.twitter.com/j2s2sezvSS
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) February 1, 2023
This announcement feels a lot different than the one from last year. This past year, he looked more agitated, expressing his frustrations on the sidelines and he certainly looked and played every bit like a 45-year-old person this past season. You can tell that this time, he’s dead set on retiring.
Tom Brady retiring is great news for the Chicago Bears
With the news of Tom Brady stepping away from football, there should be at least one more team that needs a quarterback this offseason. This could lead to more teams interested in doing business with the Chicago Bears for their No.1 pick. Here is a list of teams that need a new starting quarterback in 2023 as of this week:
"Atlanta FalconsCarolina PanthersHouston TexansIndianapolis ColtsLas Vegas RaidersNew Orleans SaintsNew York JetsTampa Bay BuccaneersWashington Commanders"
What stands out is the entire NFC South should have a new starting quarterback in 2023 and two AFC South teams that are drafting in the top four will need one too.
Both Houston and Indianapolis need a new quarterback to invigorate their fan base. They can’t allow their division rivals to move up to No.1 and pick the quarterback they wanted whether it be C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, or even Will Levis. And if one of them pans out, the ramification of missing out on the quarterback to their divisional rival could be felt for years since they face each other twice every year.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas, already having parted ways with Derek Carr, thinking they can reunite Tom Brady with head coach Josh McDaniels, is probably in DEFCON 1 mode today. Carolina went through mediocre quarterback play with Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold this past year. I doubt Frank Reich became the head coach of the Panthers without knowing what their plans are at quarterback.
However, teams like the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, and Baltimore Ravens face difficult decisions at quarterback too. They could very well throw a monkey wrench into the fold, affecting teams that need a quarterback this offseason. Those teams can greatly impact the value of the Bears’ No.1 pick.
Let’s start with the Packers. The saga between the Packers and Aaron Rodgers that’s been brewing for quite some time must end at some point, right? Already, there are chatters out there that the Packers are ready to move on from him and the Jets are very interested in him — especially after hiring ex-Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett as their offensive coordinator. They both know each other from their days in Green Bay and Rodgers speaks highly of him.
With Brock Purdy suffering a UCL injury in the NFC Championship, and Trey Lance recovering from his own ankle injury that cost him almost the entire 2022 season, the 49ers could have used Tom Brady, a bay area native, to get them over the hump. Will they keep both or will they engineer a trade with the Packers to get Rodgers, another bay area native?
The Dolphins were another team that has long been rumored to be interested in Brady. So much so, they were caught tampering with Brady and former Saints coach Sean Payton, which ultimately cost them their 2023 first-round pick and 2024 third-round pick. Tua Tagovailoa suffered multiple concussions this past year, and the recent news of him still being in concussion protocol raised questions about Tagovailoa being a reliable, long-term starter.
The Ravens could have a difficult decision to make with Lamar Jackson. He is a free agent, but the Ravens could use the franchise tag on him. However, things ended on a sour note when he was injured late in the season and could not play against the Cincinnati Bengals in the playoffs — leading to questions about his injury status and if he was protecting himself.
Don’t forget they will have a new offensive coordinator as well with Greg Roman leaving. Does Jackson want to move on from the Ravens? There could be teams, like the Falcons or Panthers, who will likely give up a king’s ransom to acquire him. Much like the Denver Broncos did to acquire Russell Wilson last offseason.
The next several months could be very wild and emotional for Chicago Bears fans. They will likely hear countless rumors about which teams will move up to get their No.1 pick.
While it’s probably best for the fans to not fret about every rumor they hear, including the ones involving Justin Fields, there is no doubt the Chicago Bears are in a tremendous bargaining position and must capitalize on trading their No.1 pick this offseason more than ever.