The New England Patriots and Tom Brady find themselves in very unfamiliar territory. For the first time in about two decades, Robert Kraft's club is possibly looking at a future without Brady and the six-time Super Bowl champion is on the doorstep of fielding offers from other NFL franchises. 

But how did we get here? 

Well, the writing was on the wall for this reality to come about when Brady and the Patriots agreed to a new contract prior to the 2019 season, which was essentially just a pay raise for that year. Part of the language in that revamped contract said that not only would the remaining years on his deal become void at the start of the new league year in 2020, but the team cannot place any sort of tag on their franchise legend. With that in mind, Brady hitting the open market and presenting the chance of him leaving Foxborough this spring was apparent.   

Unlike other players within the organization, owner Robert Kraft has a heavy hand in negotiating Brady's contract. As Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports on Monday, the reasoning for Kraft clearing that path for Brady to free agency was simply give both parties the flexibility to find the best options for both sides. If Brady and head coach Bill Belichick both feel like a continuation of their marriage is what is best for both the quarterback and the franchise after going through the free agent process, they'll look to make that happen and meet in the middle. If there are better options for Brady elsewhere and/or Belichick sees a better fit under center at a more palatable price point, we could be looking at a new era in New England. 

Naturally, Kraft wants to keep his dynastic duo of Brady and Belichick intact going forward. When recently asked about what his wishes were in regards to Brady's pending free agency, he told The Boston Globe's Juliet Pennington, "You know what I want." With that said, he has previously admitted to NBC Sports's Peter King that he believes Brady has also "earned that right" to test the market.  

The Patriots will have plenty of competition in the Tom Brady free agent sweepstakes, but arguably the biggest threat to actually pry him out of Foxborough is the Los Angeles Chargers. They've already announced that they'll be moving on from veteran quarterback Philip Rivers, who is also set to hit unrestricted free agency. Given that they have a roster that already has Keenan Allen and possibly running back Austin Ekeler (RFA) and tight end Hunter Henry (UFA), L.A. has a strong case to lure Brady and pair him with those weapons. They also have nearly $52 million in projected cap space heading into this offseason, per Spotrac.  

The biggest thing New England must do to keep Brady for the rest of his football days isn't necessarily simply dumping a lucrative contract on his front steps. It's really more about the talent around him. If the Patriots assemble enough offensive firepower that Brady thinks he can contend for a seventh Super Bowl, it should have them in a favorable spot to bring him back. 

Of course, that's much easier said than done.