The Los Angeles Chargers are fortunate that the NFL doesn't take its tampering rules seriously.
Running back Austin Ekeler, who recently agreed to a new four-year, $24.5 million contract with the Chargers, was asked Tuesday on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access" if he'd like to play with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who becomes an unrestricted free agent March 18.
Ekeler's response, via NFL.com:
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"It would be amazing to play with Tom Brady. I've been playing with Philip (Rivers) for so long and he's kind of the GOAT in the Chargers organization. He's a legend there. And you have Tom Brady on the other side of the country who's a legend there, so if I got to play with (him), it'd be an amazing opportunity."
The Chargers reportedly are a contender in the Brady free agency sweepstakes after parting ways with Rivers. But would Brady really want to join a team that went 5-11 last season?
Ekeler went one step further by explaining why Brady would be a good fit in L.A.
New England Patriots
"We just lost a lot of leadership in Philip Rivers, right? So there’s a void there,” Ekeler said. "Also, Russell Okung, one of our tackles, got traded. He was one of our team leaders, as well. So there’s a void in leadership right there.
"It’s an opportunity for people to step up, but if you bring a guy like Tom Brady in the room, he’s been there, done that. He’s already got the leadership qualities and he’s already proven that he’s a winner. So, hey, we can build something around that, too."
That's a pretty open pitch to a player who's still under contract with the Patriots through the end of the week. Say, isn't there an NFL rule that prohibits such pitches?
Let's check out the "Public/Private Statements" section of the NFL's official anti-tampering policy:
Any public or private statement of interest, qualified or unqualified, in another club’s player to that player’s agent or representative, or to a member of the news media, is a violation of this Anti-Tampering Policy.
(Example of a prohibited comment: “He’s an excellent player, and we’d very much like to have him if he were available, but another club holds his rights.”)
We'd say Ekeler's comments fall under that umbrella.
Of course, Ekeler isn't the first player to express interest in playing with the GOAT; Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown recently admitted it'd be "insane" to play with Brady.
The NFL also has no real history of cracking down on comments like this, especially for players like Brady who are days away from unrestricted free agency.
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And as our Tom E. Curran wrote last month, the Patriots won't necessarily mind the league looking the other way on teams and players tampering with Brady. The 42-year-old QB already is in discussions with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, and a pitch from a backup Chargers running back likely won't sway him one way or the other.
So, don't expect L.A. or any other team to face tampering-related discipline -- and expect the Brady rumor mill to keep ramping up ahead of the NFL's "legal" tampering period, which begins Monday.