Brady's exit leaves Patriots to swim in crowded QB market

 Over past two decades, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick built most successful player-coach partnership in NFL history, establishing core of Patriots’ championship culture.

“I don’t kw what my football future holds, but it is time for me to open a new st for my life and my career,” Brady wrote in his Instagram post Tuesday.

team he leaves behind must plot a new course into an unkwn future, too. It's been pretty much two decades since that was true.

Patriots dominated AFC East during Brady’s tenure, winning division 17 times, including a record 11 straight seasons, to go along with ir six Lombardi Trophies.

But Brady was frustrated throughout 2019 as he tried to lead an offense that lacked consistency and a deep threat at receiver. He also struggled to get dependable production from tight end position following retirement of Rob Gronkowski.

“thing about end of Tom’s Patriots career changes how unfathomably spectacular it was,” Belichick said in a statement Tuesday. “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.”

What's next for Belichick as he prepares for official start of free ncy on Wednesday with 2019 fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham as his starting quarterback? That's hardly an ideal scenario.

Stidham impressed coaching staff during preseason but played only one series and threw just four passes during regular season.

Brady was in his second season when he took over as starter in 2001 after Drew Bledsoe was injured. y won Super Bowl that season.

chances of Patriots catching lightning in a bottle twice seem unlikely.

Stidham is one of several players New England has brought in as possible Brady successors. list also has included Jacoby Brissett, w with Colts, and 49ers starter Jimmy Garoppolo.

Drafted in 2014, Garoppolo seemed like Brady’s heir apparent until he was abruptly dealt to San Francisco in October 2017 for only a second-round draft pick. His departure came just a month after Brissett was traded.

At time Belichick seemed to lament making deal, saying he felt having Brady, Garoppolo and Brissett on roster gave m “ best quarterback situation in league.”

Three years later, Brissett is one of a handful of available veterans Belichick could target as Brady’s replacement.

Indianapolis will be adding free nt Philip Rivers. That increases likelihood of Colts dealing Brissett, who is about to enter final season of two-year deal he signed in 2019.

Ar option is Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton, who earlier in his nine NFL seasons led Bengals to playoffs five times. Bengals hold top pick in draft and almost certainly will use it on LSU’s Joe Burrow.

re are also two former Super Bowl MVPs who could be available.

Nick Foles had a forgettable first season in Jacksonville that included him getting benched late in year for rookie Gardner Minshew. But Foles, who led Eagles to title in 2017, beating Brady and Patriots in Super Bowl, would be very costly under his four-year, $88 million deal.

2013 Super Bowl MVP with Baltimore, Joe Flacco, was 2-6 for Broncos last season before having his season cut short by a neck injury. Broncos are going with Drew Lock, meaning Flacco could welcome chance for a fresh start.

But all veteran scenarios will require some salary cap creativity by Patriots.

After franchising Joe Thuney, coming to terms on new deals with Matt Slater, Devin and Jason McCourty, and absorbing a $13.5 million cap hit from signing bonus money Brady received in 2019, Patriots will have only about $9 million in available cap .