Quarterbacks Tom Brady, left, and Jarrett Stidham warm up before the Patriots’ final regular season game, against the Miami Dolphins, on Dec. 29 in Foxborough, Mass. Associated Press/Elise Amendola

The thought of being the quarterback who follows Tom Brady in a New England Patriots uniform, whenever that time comes, is daunting.

Frightening, actually.

With Brady headed to free agency on March 18, and an ominous tone emerging from the negotiations with the Patriots thus far, it’s a very real possibility he leaves.

That means another quarterback could lead the Patriots for the first time in 19 years.

Brady’s immediate successor is basically going to be tasked with the impossible – measuring up to the greatest of all time. Every game, every pass, every performance, he’ll be judged against Brady. Inheriting those kinds of expectations is unfair, of course. Knowing that, Patriots fans will try to give the guy a break, but the specter of Brady will still be hard to shake.

The Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner wouldn’t want to be the guy to follow Brady. Warner said he wouldn’t want to fill those shoes, even in his prime.

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“I mean, I don’t care if I went there in the heart of my career. What they did, what they’ve done, being in the championship game and Super Bowl, nobody can live up to that,” Warner said. “Even if you’re really good, you’re not going to live up to that.”

He’s right. Simply being good won’t cut it. Good doesn’t stack up with legendary. That’s just how it goes. But someone will ultimately take on that challenge and lead the Patriots offense after Brady leaves. Bill Belichick will give another quarterback the nod.

“I just can’t imagine it,” Warner said. “We’ve seen it everywhere, though, right? Denver (following John Elway), Miami (following Dan Marino) … these teams that are going from these guys that were great, and the next guy has to try to live up to that.

And the problem is, we have no patience in this league. We have no patience with coaches, with organizations and quarterbacks.

“So, not only do you have to replace Tom Brady,” added Warner, “but people are going to expect it to happen next week. They’re going to expect you to come in and have to win, and that’s going to be a really hard thing to do for anybody.”

The Patriots have won six championships with Brady as an integral part over two decades. He won three the first decade, and three the second. It’s hard enough being an NFL quarterback, but following that unprecedented level of success, even if you’re a star in your own right, will be tough.

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“You’re going to have to be mentally strong, not only to just handle what it’s like to be a quarterback in the NFL, but to be able to handle that scrutiny,” said Warner. “That’s going to be the hard part, whether you have a young guy, or somebody step in. Not only do you have to play well, but the expectations are so above and beyond.”

Having to deal with that kind of baggage, whether now or later if Brady re-signs, might be better for a veteran to step in first before a younger quarterback. Let the veteran take the bullet, before throwing a first- or second-year player into that situation.

That’s why there have been rumors about Andy Dalton, Marcus Mariota, etc. They could handle the initial onslaught before the Patriots give the ball to the true heir. But then again, if it’s Dalton, he hasn’t exactly fared well in big games – going 0-4 in the playoffs. Would he really be much better at handling the pressure-packed role of following Brady?

Would Mariota? He lost his job midway through the season for a team that went on with Ryan Tannehill to fall just short of getting to the Super Bowl. Jameis Winston, meanwhile, has been mistake-prone. Teddy Bridgewater has dealt with a lot of adversity thanks to injury. He might handle it best. But looking at the possibilities as whole, the crop of veterans out there doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, although it would likely be the better way to go.

“I feel like a veteran would be better in the short term, to kind of bridge that gap. Even if they weren’t as successful with a veteran, then the young guy is not taking over right where Tom Brady left off, right where the greatness left off,” said Warner. “Then there’s a little bit of a buffer period where, ‘Oh, see, this other great quarterback couldn’t do it, either, so we’re OK with the young guy coming in.’ ”

Warner also theorized if a veteran came in and had some success right away, that wouldn’t exactly work well for the younger quarterback waiting in the wings.

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“But if he doesn’t, and doesn’t have the same kind of success,” said Warner, “then he could buffer it a little bit.”

The Patriots might draft a quarterback, but wouldn’t throw him into that fire right away. If they go with a less experienced QB, it’ll be Jarrett Stidham, who was Brady’s backup last season.

Brian Murphy of Athletes First, who represents Stidham, believes his client has the capability of handling the Patriots’ starting job, and all that comes with it being the next guy after Brady. Murphy pointed to the adversity Stidham has dealt with in his life, including a couple of college changes.

“He’s been through a lot of adversity in college, so I think he’ll handle it great,” said Murphy.

It’s an impossible job, for sure, but someone will do it after the Patriots turn the page on Brady.


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