Reports: Tom Brady agrees to sign with Buccaneers

If the Los Angeles Chargers made a push for Tom Brady, they again were foiled by the quarterback.

Brady opted to end his brief foray into free agency by reportedly agreeing to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and ESPN reported Brady has reached an agreement in principle to join the Bucs.

The frenzy surrounding Brady picked up Tuesday morning when he announced on social media he is not returning to the New England Patriots, the team with which he spent 20 seasons.

In a post thanking Patriots fans, Brady wrote, “I don’t know what my football future holds but it is time for me to open a new stage for my life and career.”

The Chargers are in search of a replacement for Philip Rivers, who has started all 235 games the franchise has played since 2006. Rivers and the Chargers mutually decided to part ways last month.

On Tuesday, Rivers agreed to a one-year, $25 million deal with Indianapolis.

The Chargers had interest in Brady for what he brings on the field and in prestige.

They are moving into the new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood this season and his presence would have boosted the profile of the Chargers both nationally and, perhaps of more importance, locally.

The team has struggled to establish itself in L.A. since relocating from San Diego three years ago.

Along with all his career accomplishments, Brady and the Patriots also knocked the Chargers out of the playoffs in the 2006, 2007 and 2018 seasons.

In a two-part message, Brady thanked the Patriots and the fans and said “FOREVER A PATRIOT.”

The one-year contract Brady signed before last season expires Wednesday afternoon, and his agent could negotiate a deal with another team on Tuesday, though it can’t be official yet. He will count $13.5 million toward New England’s salary cap due to the signing bonus money he received in 2019.

Patriots owner Bob Kraft said of Brady: “I had hoped this day would never come, but rather that Tom would end his remarkable career in a Patriots uniform after yet another Super Bowl championship. Unfortunately, the two sides were unable to reach an agreement to allow that dream to become a reality. While sad today, the overwhelming feeling I have is appreciation for his countless contributions to our team and community.”

A four-time Super Bowl MVP and three-time league MVP, Brady has been the enduring face of the Patriots during a run that added another layer to Boston’s already rich sports history. Only Bill Russell, who won 11 NBA championship rings in the 1950s and ’60s with the Celtics, has won more titles as a member of one of New England’s four major professional sports teams.

Brady would be the oldest starting quarterback in the league at 43 at the beginning of next season. Brady arguably is coming off his worst non-injury season. He threw for 4,057 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2019, with eight interceptions. But he completed fewer than 56% of his passes six times in the final eight games of the year, including a season-ending loss to Miami that cost the Patriots a first-round playoff bye.

They lost at home to the Titans in the wild-card round, Brady’s earliest postseason exit in a decade — and likely his last game in a Patriots uniform.

The chief decision-maker in player personnel decisions, Belichick hasn’t been shy about moving on from players he felt were past their prime or seeking contracts that exceeded value in relation to their age. Belichick has severed ties with players much younger than Brady during his time in New England.

“Nothing about the end of Tom’s Patriots career changes how unfathomably spectacular it was,” said Patriots coach Bill Belichick, whose current quarterback is untested second-year player Jarrett Stidham. “With his relentless competitiveness and longevity, he earned everyone’s adoration and will be celebrated forever. It has been a privilege to coach Tom Brady for 20 years.”

Jarrett Stidham, last year’s fourth-round pick and the starter by default for now, is one of several players New England has brought in as possible Brady successors. The list also has included Jacoby Brissett, now with the Colts, and 49ers starter Jimmy Garoppolo.