While Coronavirus is cancelling everything around us (thankful for this Tweet), The National Football League, we can all be sure, will attempt to keep the upcoming season on track as much as liability will allow. These people love what they do and will make sure to get that guap in all ways possible. In the absence of most sports and entertainment, a ton of eyes will be on the impending news about 2020 Free Agency and the NFL Draft.

Many dominoes fell today. The NFL Players voted to pass the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (part of which allows the use of only the franchise tag in negotiations), The Jacksonville Jaguars initiated “Project Dolphin Tank” and The Tennessee Titans (as I predicted, as you’ll see at the bottom) chose Ryan Tannehill over everybody out there. That ‘everybody’ includes the G.O.A.T., Tom Brady. Tommy boy will be 43 this season, but why won’t this old man tell us where he’s going?? Chris Simms and his dad, along with most other people are dismissing the idea entirely that Brady would ever leave the team he’s played 20 seasons for. I’m here to tell you that we will not see him play in a New England Patriots jersey ever again! EVER.

Whatever the reason(s) may be, Tom’s play has declined statistically over the last 3 seasons. That is undeniable. We were already wondering if he would leave last year. This season felt like a definitive breaking point. Brady had his worst second half of a season ever (in completion percentage, passing yards per attempt as well as passer rating). You can make all of the excuses for his play that you want: he dealt with injuries, he misses Rob Gronkowski, Edelman missed time, his young receivers could not get open, the running game regressed, etc. It’s easy to forget, however, that this is Tom freaking Brady that we are talking about! Those excuses used to not even matter. His whole thing used to be that he worked with no-name guys and castoffs on offense and made them into playmakers and stars. The list includes Reche Caldwell, Jonas Gray, Brandon Lloyd, Laurence Maroney, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola, Dion Lewis, Troy Brown, Shane Vereen, Kevin Faulk, David Givens, Julian Edelman, Wes Welker and Deion Branch (sore subject as a Hawks fan) among others as guys that were dangerous in championship games and seasons in New England but accomplished little else at future or previous stops.

Tom Brady is one of the most competitive athletes in the league, and may be one of the greats who can’t accept mediocrity or his own susceptibility to Father Time. It kinda feels like Brady wanted the Patriots to do more for him this year. You better believe that the chip on this former 6th rounder’s shoulder got bigger after the narrative he faced this season. He will be highly motivated to pull a #WashedKing and prove everyone wrong. Fascinating.

That being said, let’s look at things from the Patriots’ perspective. As bizarre as it is to admit, Brady is one of the weak links on this team. New England had a strong defensive showing this past season and has the reigning DPOY. Since he is paid as a quarterback, that is not a great disparity for the team to have. The fans in us (whether we love or despise him) can’t believe that New England would let their franchise icon leave for another team… look at how the Giants let Eli stay until the wheels fell off. You know that these are the Patriots that we’re talking about, Jack?!

New England is cold-blooded and calculating. They are notorious for getting rid of players a year too early vs. a year too late. If these QB dominoes weren’t in danger of falling at any second, I would do a deep dive on the history of that idea in New England. Names like Ty Law, Richard Seymour, Randy Moss, Lawyer Malloy and Darrelle Revis immediately come to mind. That’s one way that they’ve been able to stay on top for so long: they don’t play when it comes to business decisions. They are the anti-Cowboys (Jerry Jones LOVES his star players and will do a lot to keep them).

You can argue their level of competition early in the year, but heading into the playoffs, the Patriot Defense was the 4th team in the last 25 years to allow 20 or fewer offensive touchdowns and intercept more than 25 passes. The previous three teams to accomplish this all went on to win the Super Bowl. The Patriots did not… DO YOU THINK BILL BELICHICK WILL LET THAT STAND?? He was most likely already hot that Robert Kraft made him keep Brady last year over Jimmy Garoppolo.

Enter the young Los Angeles Chargers. They are already behind in a fight with the Rams for the loyalty of L.A. Ask the Clippers how important that factor is. They have made every move imaginable this offseason to build a comfortable and cushy landing spot for TB12. They extended a great satellite back (Tom has been known to make magic with these kinds of weapons) in Austin Ekeler. They made hard decisions to open up cap space in dumping the contracts of older, yet still effective players in Thomas Davis and Brandon Mebane. They already have a great route runner and a downfield threat in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, respectively. Keenan Allen’s presence in particular makes this a crucial potential fit, as he is a maven in the slot. Brady has been a major catalyst in the chemical process of making slot receivers boom throughout his career. Oh yeah, the Bolts have a young threat named Hunter Henry who would give Brady the best tight end he’s had since Gronk. Ya’ll seeing this? I think Tom would love to be at the controls here, walking around with WMD‘s at his disposal, walking around L.A. with his Uggs in search of avocado ice cream.

The kicker in this whole situation may be the potential strength of the O-line, which they navigated perfectly to improve so far. They flipped their left tackle, Russell Okung, in order to gain a strength at offensive guard with Trai Turner from the Carolina Panthers. They most likely did this with the fact in mind that they pick 6th overall in the upcoming NFL Draft and are in position to take one of the elite tackle prospects in the draft to solidify their line. Believe it or not, this is a team that lost 10 of their games by one score or less. The Chargers are a team that is within striking distance of competing for the ‘ship if they can get modest gains in contribution from the quarterback position (and if Derwin James can regain form after his injury).

If you check out all of the public forums and social media comments, nobody thinks Vader is leaving the Empire. What if he does? What if he helps to bring balance to the league? Tom even already announced that he’s headed to Hollywood. Get ready for the inevitable Tom Brady and LeBron James commercial if you live in the LA Metro area. We already heard that there was a phone call (!) between Bill and Tom that didn’t go well… if they break up, there were enough cookie crumbs along the way for a potential 30-for-30 episode.

Tom Brady switching sides to the Chargers to continue (and attempt to further legitimize) his legacy apart from Bill Belichick would be a riveting and sensical storyline all 2020. It would be especially intriguing to see which QB Bill will pick to replace Brady and lead his team. Belichick and Brady would be in a race to win a Lombardi without the other. I think most may underestimate the ego and level of petty involved here with two competitive living legends. If we can all stay inside for a bit, we may be in for some fire this year.

Below is my crack at how the giant game of QB musical chairs will play out across the league in this scenario (and my random notes). This may be the first year that I can remember where a lot of teams can end up with either a starter or backup who they believe in long-term. I made this list days ago, but when I saw that Ryan Tannehill signed, I decided to not let any more of my thunder be stolen:

– Philip Rivers to the Colts > (Brissett as backup + draft someone like Jeudy) Frank Reich worked with Rivers in San Diego.

– Ryan Tannehill back to the Titans > (Re-sign Henry and get rid of Mariota) Historic, deadly efficiency in 2019. If it ain’t broke… Vrabel knows Bill Belichick would be salivating to sign R.T. if Brady leaves. Next Alex Smith?

– Tom Brady to the Chargers > (Tyrod Taylor as backup + draft an OT) Focal point vs him going to the Titans as an ancillary part.

– Andy Dalton to the Patriots > (Stidham as backup and potential heir?) This fool has put up points in his career. Bill knows that and banks on his veteran savy to help stoke Belichick’s legacy apart from Tom Brady.

– Teddy Bridewater to the Bears > (Starts off as backup to Mr. Biscuit?) Window of prime defense could shut FAST in Chicago. He is a smart player who can compliment a dominant defense, protect the football and impress at times.

– Cam Newton stays with the Panthers > (For now? Traded when healthy?) Sam Bradford style trade when there is an opportunity? Grier, Allen-1yr contract. Tepper willing to play long game.

– Justin Herbert to the Panthers > (Backup to Allen and Cam for a hot sec) Rhule O great for spread QB? In perfect position. College to NFL coaches have wealth of knowledge from scouting and recruiting their first couple draft classes.

– Derek Carr stays with the Raiders > (Draft CeeDee Lamb) Gruden
finally gets the elite WR that he missed in A.B. that lets him test his QB’s worth.

– Jalen Hurts to the Raiders > (Backup to and competition for Carr) Gruden
would love this kid’s confidence, understanding of the game and leadership abilities. His 10 year contract let’s him wait on sunshine. Steez.

– Joe Burrow to the Bengals > Magical season.

– Tua Tagovailoa to the Dolphins > (Backup to Fitzpatrick until fully healthy) Their guy. Accurate thrower. 9 picks in 1st or 2nd rounds next 2 years, can make it happen.

– Jacob Eason to the Lions > (Backup to Stafford) Rumors of DET divorce.

– Jordan Love to the Buccaneers > (Backup to Winston) Too much alike?? Arians is the QB whisperer… wants Rivers, but will take “poor man’s Mahomes”.

– Jake Fromm to the Broncos > (Insurance that won’t hurt Lock)

– Marcus Mariota to the ‘skins > (Insurance behind Haskins) Brings the mobility that Rivera is used to.

– Josh Rosen to the Steelers > (Backup and heir after Big Ben’s final season) Let’s get this guy behind a functional O-line and see what ol’ boy can do! Rosen a major upgrade to the bummy QB play we saw from Pittsburgh last year.

– Case Keenum to the Browns > (Backup, mentor and stabilizing force for Baker) Stefanski connection from Vikings.

– Joe Flacco to the Bengals > (Mentor to Macaulay Culkin) Skinny’s revenge on Baltimore!!

– P.J. Walker to the Seahawks > (Long term backup to Russ?) XFL MVP. Yessah!

The truth is, unless you share similar experiences to, or an affinity for that specific culture, you may not be quite as excited as this particular individual who thought it was a worthy enough fact to interrupt the paid entertainment with. We can all, however, be appreciative of being able to witness someone filled with pride, that another person who shares characteristics similar to their own can be successful.

An inability to understand the scenario described above is actually a matter of privilege. Privilege, in itself, is not an inherently bad thing… but it can be a very large hindrance to your ability to see the perspective of others. Let’s examine.

I myself, am partl black, and I have a friend who is white. I actually have quite a few friends who are white; but this particular Caucasian kemosabe in question grew up in an extremely white part of his city. In fact, in college, he told me that I was his very first black friend or acquaintance. I felt somewhat honored that I got to break him in, and joked that I hope I don’t mess it up for all the rest. To say the least, my friend and I were raised in very different cultures, but we both ended up teaching each other a lot. We built a lot of trust, and had some very insightful and incisive conversations. We both introduced each other to different things that we loved (movies, music, food, hobbies), and had some real Remember the Titans moments.

My friend and I loved to watch and play sports together, united by our love for competition as well as for the Seattle Seahawks. I’ll never forget one day him stopping me, and saying, “Hey, I notice you cheer specifically for all of the black quarterbacks to succeed, and make it a big deal about their race… why don’t you do that for all of the white ones as well?” He even seemed a little annoyed by it. If it was anyone else, I may have been offended by the question. Coming from this guy, I knew it was coming from a place of naiveté. Our conversation also made me realize that the “societal majority” doesn’t usually share the same understanding of kinship that we as minorities in American society feel with each other. Why is it that Koreans moms (according to a good friend) who don’t know each other, can easily strike up conversation like old friends in public? How do you explain ‘the nod’ that many of us black men give each other (which I remember observing from my father from a young age)? He genuinely didn’t get it.

I explained to him some of the reasons why I love to see black quarterbacks succeed after a history of being shut out of that role on the team. I’ve written previously about how blacks were not even considered intellectually capable of even being able to play the position. Whenever I see a black quarterback excelling at quarterback, that feels like a win for society and social progress to me! He never felt this sort of a kinship and hope for success for white quarterbacks, because he never lacked for representation in that arena. He never had to think twice about whether or not there were any that were capable of succeeding! White quarterbacks have never been doubted solely because of their skin tone.

So many minority groups have given undying support to such celebrities as Jackie Robinson, Manny Pacquiao, Jeremy Lin, Conor McGregor, Jackie Chan, Canelo Álvarez, Tiger Woods, Shakira, The Rock, Yao Ming, heck… even Eminem can (somewhat) be included in this discussion! Whenever an individual who isn’t a part of the majority finds notoriety, it becomes noteworthy. Those of us who identify with them feel a sense of endearment to them. Witnessing them being able to hold a measure of power, voice and influence that our group does not usually hold is a feeling that cannot be explained.

This is also a reason why I reluctantly included Eminem in the above examples. Although it cannot fully extend as an example, since white males are the majority in America, the subject of Slim Shady may be one of the closest where white people may be able to (even in a tiny, tiny way) understand this feeling of minority kinship. Em has been rightly celebrated for his unapologetically gritty demeanor, deep rhymes, and constant F-you attitude towards the world. White people really did rally to embrace his whole persona in rap. Black listeners, and fellow collaborators liked him too. White people could be born in rough neighborhoods, rely on a gangster mentality and spit bars too! They finally weren’t precluded (or billed as a gimmick) because of their race! He may not have been my idol, but that did seem cool to me.

This is why we all care about seeing a person that we relate to succeed where others traditionally haven’t. It is an even more amplified and unexplainable feeling for us as minorities because of complicated issues such as westernized standards of success and beauty in American society, and things like homophily. Each achievement can feel like a shattering of a glass ceiling and a removal of any real or implied cap on our potential.

All of this is why it has been a joy to watch black quarterbacks in 2019 shattering all kinds of barriers. This is truly the golden age of black quarterbacking! It isn’t that I root against white quarterbacks… When the Seattle Seahawks acquired Matt Flynn in 2013, I hoped with everything in me that he would turn out to be the greatest QB to ever live! Brett Favre is one of my favorites of all time. I could go down the list talking about great white quarterbacks that I’ve admired and continue to root for. But there is something special about seeing athletes that look like me (just a little more in shape) reach those heights as well.

Let’s celebrate together! Starting with my hometown team, it is pretty special that Russell Wilson, a black quarterback, became the highest paid player in NFL history this past summer. Other’s have gotten paid since, but can you imagine how crazy it must be to witness for those who have lived in a world where African Americans were paid peanuts (if that) compared to white men?? That world wasn’t too long ago to be honest with you. Wilson is a perennial MVP candidate, owns tremendous mental toughness, has a black backup quarterback in Geno Smith, and is generally a standup guy and great example in numerous ways.

Of course, Lamar Jackson has been transcendent, and has rivaled Wilson in a spectacular battle for the Most Valuable Player award in 2019. Lamar is a true weapon at the position and has the ability to wreck the league and change the game going forward. People doubted whether or not he could be a functional NFL quarterback, and some even heavily suggested that he would need to switch positions to find success in this league. Jackson has proven himself with a vengeance, while justifying any and all comparisons to dual-threat godfather, Michael Vick in the process.

How can we forget about Patrick Mahomes! He is a young prodigy at the position, and the defending league MVP as a black quarterback. Mahomes’ offensive output in 2018 was prolific, and if he is back for the playoffs this year, Kansas City has to be seen as a threat to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. He has the potential to break a lot of passing records in this league.

There is a very good chance that a black quarterback wins MVP of the NFL this season. The top 3 MVP candidates coming into Week 11 were all black quarterbacks (Jackson, Wilson and Houston’s Deshaun Watson). Let that sink in… that means that we’d have back-to-back different black quarterbacks win the league’s highest honor. In that scenario, 3 of the last 5 MVP’s (Cam Newton won in 2015 while carrying his team’s offense) will be different black quarterbacks! How about the fact that in 2019 so far, the top 5 quarterbacks in QBR (Total Quarterback Rating) are all African American! Of the top 10 QB’s in passing touchdowns, 6 of them are black!

A great take I heard from Max Kellerman (of all people), is that the fact that there are black quarterbacks in starting positions that represent different points on the talent spectrum is one of the biggest signs that there has been progress. No longer does a black QB have to be undeniably great to even get a shot. We have the legends above, as well as mid-tier and even low-tier guys (guys like Geno Smith come to mind) and backups (Tyrod Taylor). Will we even get the chance for Colin Kaepernick to rightfully earn a QB job in the league after all that has been said and done? I don’t know the answer to that, but there are plenty of guys showing us that anything is possible.

Dak Prescott leads the league in passing yards, and is the quarterback of “America’s Team” in Dallas. Jameis Winston is second in the league in passing yards, and has been afforded many chances in Tampa Bay to prove that he can lead his team. Dwayne Haskins is a first round rookie and potential heir to the throne in D.C. who has been named the starter for the rest of the season. Teddy Bridgewater aggressively pursued a 2-year comeback from a horrific, life-threatening leg injury to go 5-0 in Drew Brees’ stead while throwing for 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Jacoby Brissett has had the chance to pilot the Indianapolis Colts as the unquestioned starter after Andrew Luck’s shocking retirement and a lackluster first year with the team. He is doing quite well, with a nearly 100-level Quarterback Rating. The #1 pick in this year’s draft was Kyler Murray, an explosive athlete with elite potential.

All of this needs to be seen as a win for us all. I have personally been inspired by how these men have gone against the grain to thrive at the highest level. Nobody is excluded from lauding those who blaze trails, open up possibilities and help others to feel included. We will always have doubters that point out things to try to disqualify us. I hope that none of us, regardless of what we look like and where we come from, are mentally bound by what others see as limitations. Black quarterbacks have never been in a more powerful position in the National Football League. What a way to celebrate the 100th season of operation. Oh, and a white guy leads the league in rushing…