Report: "All options are on the table" for Tom Brady next season

BOSTON -- Tom Brady doesn't always act gracefully in defeat. But on Sunday, he and his Buccaneers were beaten so badly that Brady autographing footballs for defenders who picked him off and offering up sincere words of encouragement for Brock Purdy, a young man whom Brady had likely never heard of prior to last weekend. The Bucs were basically out of that game in San Francisco by halftime, giving Brady plenty of time to wrap his head around what had happened.

That's just been the type of year the Bucs are going through, and it's not at all the type of season that Brady came out of (fake) retirement to experience. As such, much of the football world is wondering what Brady may be doing next year -- and where he will be doing it.

According to two NFL insiders, the answer to that mystery could be ... just about anything.

"Multiple sources close to the legendary quarterback say all options are on the table for Brady, who at age 45 feels good enough to keep playing," Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported.

At season's end, Brady is set to become a free agent for the second time of his career. The first time, of course, came in 2020, when his contract with the Patriots automatically voided prior to him signing with the Buccaneers.

Rapoport and Pelissero said that re-signing with the Buccaneers is a possibility, but also said that Brady might "look to move on for the right situation" if he doesn't believe the Bucs give him the best shot at a Super Bowl. Pretty much any theoretical landing spot has a lot of juice -- a return to New England, a full heel turn to sign with the Jets or Colts, a jolt to the QB spot in Pittsburgh, a reunion with Mike Vrabel in Tennessee or Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas, joining the team that twice beat him in Super Bowls in the Giants, replacing Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, etc. -- and that figures to fuel some spicy speculation for the foreseeable future.

The duo also reported that Brady could retire -- this time for real.

Brady and the Bucs are currently 6-7 on the season. It's the first time that Brady has ever been the starting quarterback of an NFL team that has lost seven games. With a severely injured offensive line, some suspect coaching, and some natural physical depreciation at age 45, Brady's numbers have naturally dipped. But he's still physically capable of leading the league in pass attempts and completions, which is sure to entice at least one time to make a run at him in free agency.

That is, of course, provided Brady wants to start a new football life with a different team at the age of 46. For now, Brady is busy signing autographs for linebackers who intercepted him during blowout losses.

Clearly, nobody knows exactly what Brady's future holds. And based on the reporting, it seems like even Brady himself isn't quite sure.