Tom Brady: I’m leaving Patriots

After six playoff rings, nine AFC titles and a run as perhaps the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady is leaving the Patriots.

The 42-year-old posted on Instagram on Tuesday morning that his time with the team was through.

“I don’t know what my football future holds,” he wrote in a long series of posts. “But it is time for me to open a new stage for my life and career.”

Now Brady has to find his next home. Reports have linked him to the Buccaneers and the Chargers.

The Bears don’t appear to be a suitor, but Brady’s decision will have an impact on their quarterback search. The Patriots become yet another team playing musical chairs looking for their next passer. They’ve been linked to the Bengals’ Andy Dalton and free-agent-to-be Teddy Bridgewater — as have the Bears.

As of now, the Patriots quarterback is 22-year-old Jarrett Stidham, who has thrown four career passes.

Other teams in need of a quarterback include the Colts, who have been linked to Philip Rivers; the Dolphins; and, if they manage to trade Nick Foles, the Jaguars.