Some were puzzled by the Indianapolis Colts’ plan of attack on the quarterback market this offseason, and rightfully so.
The Colts landed on Philip Rivers as their new starting QB, but by all accounts, Indianapolis had every chance to sign Tom Brady. One could argue Brady still is capable of performing at a higher level than Rivers even though he’s four years older.
Head coach Frank Reich on Wednesday simply explained the franchise felt Rivers was “the right guy,” which makes sense given the signal-caller’s background with a few members of Indy’s coaching staff. But according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, contract demands played a factor in the Colts’ decision as well.
“They believe that Philip Rivers was a better fit for them in part because of the familiarity that he had with offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni, with Frank Reich himself, with Jason Michael, the tight ends coach. That was one factor,” Rapoport said on NFL Network. “Another factor is Tom Brady signed a two-year, fully guaranteed deal with the Bucs. Doesn’t seem like the Colts were willing to go there.”
The Buccaneers clearly had no qualms with giving Brady the deal he coveted. In fact, Tampa Bay seems open to the idea of keeping Brady in the fold even after his two-year contract expires.
