The ripple effect of Tom Brady leaving New England
By John Buhler
Broader AFC perspective
Yes, everything will be different in the AFC if Brady leaves New England.
Baltimore benefits the most from Brady leaving the Patriots. With Lamar Jackson’s arrival, the Ravens would emerge as the second-best team in the AFC to Kansas City with New England trending down. Other teams like the Houston Texans could be in the mix for AFC supremacy with Kansas City, but Baltimore feels like the next team up with Brady’s New England departure.
Kansas City has already won a Super Bowl during the twilight of Brady’s career, and will likely be the favorites to get back to Super Bowl 55 out of the AFC. In fact, Brady’s departure makes the Chiefs’ ascension towards a dynasty all the more realistic if New England is mostly out of the equation.
No, it’s not just Baltimore and Kansas City who would benefit from a Brady New England exodus in the AFC. With quality quarterback play, teams like the Denver Broncos, the Indianapolis Colts, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Pittsburgh Steelers could get back into the playoffs, as New England will no longer be hogging one of those precious postseason spots in the AFC for the end of time.
As for Brady landing on another AFC team, it would make organizations like Las Vegas, Los Angeles or Tennessee more playoff viable. The Raiders and Chargers could theoretically challenge the Chiefs in the AFC West, but are more likely to be Wild Card teams. The Titans would battle with the Texans and maybe the Colts for division titles in the AFC South the next few years.
Even though those three teams have decent chances to pry Brady away from New England, the entire conference benefits if he were to go to the NFC. There are teams in flux at quarterback like the Carolina Panthers or the Chicago Bears. He won’t go to either team, but an unforeseen AFC departure would make even the dysfunctional Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns giddy.