Tom Brady could jump ship to join NFC South rival in 2023

If Sean Payton does return to NFL coaching in 2023, his No. 1 destination could influence Tom Brady as the quarterback enters free agency. 

Tom Brady is in the midst of one of the worst seasons of his 23-year NFL career, which hasn’t been helped by the team’s latest meltdown versus the San Francisco 49ers. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have consistently been plagued by injuries and penalties, but miraculously, the Brady-led teams prevailed in 2020 and 2021. The 2022 squad may still win the division, but it’s only a result of NFC South ineptitude, not of Bucs prowess.

Perhaps that’s why free agency rumors are already heating up for Brady, with possible destinations floating around before the current NFL season is over. Where Brady goes next could mean a Super Bowl for another team, but only if there’s a perfect alignment between coaching, drafting and crafting the perfect roster.

While it’s unlikely Brady would play for Bill Belichick again, it’s possible he could play for Sean Payton, who is one of the greatest offensive minds in recent NFL history. Payton and Brady were reportedly working towards a future together with the Miami Dolphins, but with that clearly having fallen through, the duo could land together on the worst destination imaginable for Brady fans in Tampa: the New Orleans Saints.

Tom Brady could join Sean Payton on the New Orleans Saints in 2023

Of course, there’s nothing concrete yet to indicate that Brady will join Payton if the former Saints coach returns to New Orleans, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility, either. Brady and Payton have developed a keen friendship over the years, with Payton appearing on Brady’s “Let’s Go!” podcast recently to discuss the league.

There’s also the fact that the two San Mateo natives share the same agent, Don Yee. If such a negotiation was on the table, Yee would be able to orchestrate deals in the interests of both his clients. What better way than to connect them on the same NFL team?

The Brady-Payton deal in Miami made it clear these two would like to work together, and if Payton’s top choice is the Saints, it could become Brady’s as well. After decades of success with Drew Brees, the Saints are about a quarterback away from being back in the playoffs — this is where the Bucs were in 2020. For Brady and Payton respectively, a New Orleans union could be the best thing for the franchise.

However, it would put Jameis Winston out of a job yet again, and Saints fans may have a troublesome time embracing the quarterback they’ve come to revile and the coach that left them in the dust.