New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady confirmed this week he'll be back in 2020 (his 21st season in the NFL) despite experiencing one of the most disappointing single seasons of his career in 2019.
Brady, 42, has accomplished more during his career than almost any player in NFL history. His six Super Bowl victories and four Super Bowl MVPs would be enough to make most mortals satisfied, but he said via an Instagram post that he still has something to prove. The biggest question of the offseason, however, is where he'll be playing while trying to prove whatever that something is.
Speculation about Brady playing for the Bears, a team with a Super Bowl defense and enough skill players to complement it, has already begun. There will be salary-cap complications and the obvious theory that Brady will finish his career in the only jersey he's ever donned, but it's not entirely out of the question that Brady could be general manager Ryan Pace's prime target.
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But would a Brady addition excite the Bears' fanbase? The presumption that it would may not be all that accurate. Take a look at these results from a poll that asked fans whether they'd welcome TB12 to the Windy City:
More than 51 percent of voters are against the idea of Brady to the Bears. Perhaps its recency bias at play; Brady didn't look like the perennial MVP candidate we've become used to seeing last season, and it's not out of bounds to think Father Time has finally caught up to him.
But there's no denying that Brady, even if he's 75 percent of what he used to be, would be an upgrade over Mitch Trubisky.
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Regardless, the fans have spoken. Pace may want to look elsewhere if he wants Chicago to be satisfied with his offseason moves.