Elise Amendola/Associated Press
By this time next year, Andy Dalton could be starting for the New England Patriots and Taysom Hill could be leading the New Orleans Saints. Rumors suggest a chance, however miniscule, that Tom Brady signs elsewhere and that Drew Brees elects to retire.
Still, those scenic routes feel unlikely. The clearest path forward has Brady back in New England and Brees back in New Orleans, both on potential final quests for the Lombardi Trophy.
Based on conversations with sources close to Brady, ESPN's Jeff Darlington reported that TB12 "has absolutely no plans of retiring at this point," but that "if he's going to return to the Patriots, it will be, in some capacity, on his own terms.