Stephen A. Smith acknowledges that Tom Brady didn't have help on offense this season, and therefore shouldn't retire because Brady is still a top-10 quarterback. (1:33)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- There are going to be many questions over the next few weeks about the future of quarterback Tom Brady, who's set to become a free agent for the first time in his NFL career. Will he stay in New England or play next season with another team? All we know for sure is Brady said it’s “pretty unlikely” he will retire.

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Brady, 42, didn't have a lot of weapons at his disposal as the Patriots made a first-round exit in the playoffs. The Carolina Panthers have weapons but need a healthy, dependable quarterback.

The Panthers also need a coach, and New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is set to interview with team officials on Tuesday. He could be a good fit, since owner David Tepper appears focused on bringing in a young, offense-minded, NFL coordinator.

So why not marry these two situations?

Here's why Carolina makes sense if Brady is ready for a change of scenery:

Cam Newton uncertainty: There are no guarantees that Newton will be healthy in time for the 2020 season, the last one under his current contract. The full recovery time for his Lisfranc surgery is unknown. It could be six months; it could be a year or longer. So if the Panthers decide to move on from their 30-year-old quarterback and his $21.1 million salary-cap figure with either a trade or release, there wouldn't be a better veteran option than Brady, a six-time Super Bowl champion and 14-time Pro Bowl selection. Brady has a history of cap-friendly deals that leave money to build around him, and surely the Panthers could work something out for the $19.1 million they would clear by moving on from Newton. They might even have enough left to help extend the deal of running back Christian McCaffrey, who is entering the fourth year of his rookie deal.

The Panthers are already interested in Josh McDaniels as coach, and if Tom Brady is serious about signing elsewhere, could they be a package deal in Carolina? Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Brady needs weapons: Brady never has played with a back like McCaffrey, who this past season became the third player in NFL history to record 1,000 yards rushing and receiving. In three NFL seasons, McCaffrey hasn’t had a quarterback who consistently could hit him in stride in the passing game. Add wide receivers DJ Moore -- 1,175 yards receiving in 15 games this past season -- and the speedy Curtis Samuel (627 receiving yards) and Brady would arguably have a better group than he had in New England this past season. Chris Hogan, who spent the 2016-18 seasons with Brady, also is in Carolina. Then there’s Greg Olsen. The three-time Pro Bowl tight end indicated this might be his last season, even though he has a year left on his deal. He doesn’t want to be a part of a complete rebuilding job, as he’ll turn 35 in March. Brady wouldn’t be part of a complete rebuild, either, and his relationships with tight ends (such as Rob Gronkowski) could be a motivating factor for Olsen to return. With these weapons in place, the Panthers could spend money in free agency on rebuilding an offensive line to protect Brady. They already have nice pieces in veteran center Matt Paradis and four-time Pro Bowl right guard Trai Turner.

Good mentor: There’s no question the Panthers need to develop a quarterback for the future, whether Newton is on the 2020 roster or not. The Patriots have a solid history of developing starting-caliber quarterbacks behind Brady, such as Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett and Matt Cassel. There’s no history of the Panthers developing a quality starting quarterback behind Newton. So Brady could hold the job for a couple of years as he tries to reach his goal of playing until he’s 45, and let 2019 third-round pick Will Grier, Kyle Allen or a drafted quarterback develop.

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Quick turnaround: Tepper has said repeatedly that he hates losing. Brady equals winning. He has never played for a losing team. He has won 10 or more games in 11 straight seasons since having his 2008 season shortened to one game because of injury, and the Patriots have won at least 10 games in 17 of his 18 healthy seasons. The Panthers already have good pieces on defense in linebackers Luke Kuechly and Shaq Thompson, defensive tackle Kawann Short and safety Eric Reid. With Brady, it would be easier convincing free agents such as cornerback James Bradberry and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy to stay. It also would be easier to lure other top free agents into the fold to build around them. As McCaffrey reminded this past season when the Panthers were losing their final eight after a 5-3 start, San Francisco (13-3) was 4-12 a year ago and turned things around. Brady’s presence certainly would sell tickets, another Tepper goal.

McDaniels factor: The Panthers last week interviewed Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to become their next coach. They met with Baylor coach Matt Rhule on Monday and are scheduled to meet with interim coach Perry Fewell on Wednesday and Minnesota offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski on Thursday. McDaniels has something the others don’t: head-coaching experience in the NFL (Denver, 2009-10). He also has a long history with Brady. Yes, McDaniels struggled at Denver, going 11-17 before being fired. But he didn’t have a quality starting quarterback, inheriting Kyle Orton and drafting Tim Tebow. McDaniels and Brady won six Super Bowls together, including one over the Panthers after the 2003 season. Should McDaniels choose the Browns, it’s unlikely Brady would follow him with Baker Mayfield in the fold in Cleveland. The Panthers arguably make the most sense if they want to be a package deal.