The Facts: For the first time in his NFL career, Brady is prepared to discuss a future with teams beyond the New England Patriots, sources said, and for the first time since he took over as a starter nearly two decades ago, the Patriots are unsure of who will be under center in 2020.

Diehards Line: CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora went on to concede it would be extremely surprising if Brady were to agree to any new pact with the Patriots prior to the start of free agency in March. But La Canfora was adamant in stating that while his process could still result in a return to New England it is far from certain at this point. Brady intends to take a methodical approach to his first foray into free agency, as, at age 42, this will be the final contract of his playing career. Brady and his team will weigh all options available to determine which opportunity provides the best chance to continue competing for the Lombardi Trophy and to see what other organizations think of him at this late stage in his career. As one source put it, Brady will do his due diligence to assess all realistic possibilities, with it only "human nature" to explore this chance to embrace his free-agent status for the first time in his career.