New England Patriots fans are still hopeful that Tom Brady will re-sign with the team this offseason and finish his career in Foxboro.
But if the 42-year-old does decide to move on (which is looking increasingly plausible), how will the Patriots proceed at the quarterback position?
An obvious option is backup QB Jarrett Stidham, whom New England selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Or, the Patriots could look to the trade market where they'll likely find a serviceable veteran.
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According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton could be part of the Patriots' backup plan if they don't end up bringing Brady back.
"If the Patriots lose Tom Brady, one of their backup plans may end up being Andy Dalton," Rapoport said Sunday on NFL Network. "So it may not be something that's on the front burner, but it does sound like Dalton eventually will be traded this offseason."
With the Bengals presumably taking LSU QB Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, they'll have little use for Dalton going forward. The 32-year-old is coming off a down season in which he went 2-11 in 13 games with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. It's worth noting, however, that Dalton played without A.J. Green all season and didn't have John Ross for most of the campaign due to injuries.
Dalton is entering the last year of his contract and is set to make $17.5 million in 2020.
Brady will officially become a free agent March 18 if he and the Patriots don't agree to an extension before then.
