According to ESPN's Dianna Russini, there aren't as many teams interested in signing Tom Brady in free agency as he might be hoping.

The simple reason seems to be that Brady is 43, and any team signing him would likely be mortgaging their long-term future to add him.

Russini noted some teams would "love" to add Brady, but a gap nonetheless exists.

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Tom Brady is set to become a free agent for the first time in his NFL career, but his options on the open market may be limited.

ESPN's Dianna Russini said on "Get Up" on Tuesday that while some teams are interested in Brady and keeping an eye on the situation, on the whole, he is not as in-demand as would be expected for perhaps the great quarterback of all-time.

"The reality is, from just talking to sources around the league, it seems Brady is a lot more interested in teams than teams are actually interested in Tom Brady," Russini said.

The simple reason is Brady is 43, has played 20 seasons in the NFL, and showed signs of decline in the last two seasons. While Brady could surely still captain a championship team if there were strong offensive and defensive personnel in place, how many of those teams are there, and how many are willing to sacrifice their long-term future for a short-term gain with Brady?

The San Francisco 49ers fit this mold. Rumors have linked Brady and the 49ers this offseason, in part because Brady is from the Bay Area and grew up a 49ers fan. The team has the talent on both sides of the ball to continue competing for championships, with some believing Brady's experience would be an improvement on Jimmy Garoppolo.

However, several reports have said the 49ers' interest is minimal, though not nonexistent. Even if the 49ers would be willing to move on from Garoppolo, they'd be exchanging a 28-year-old quarterback for a 43-year-old. The 49ers would likely be searching for a new quarterback just as their young core hits its peak.

That doesn't mean the market is totally bare, though. Russini said some teams would still love to sign Brady, saying the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all-in on him.

"I talked to Tampa Bay. They would love to have Tom Brady," Russini said. "They're willing to give Tom Brady the things he needs, he wants. Some of those things he wants — control over roster, he wants to be part of making decisions on the play-calling ... If [Brady] wants control, Bruce Arians is a guy he should match up with."

A major factor in Brady's offseason will be the Patriots' approach. ESPN's Field Yates reported on Monday that the Patriots made Brady a multi-year contract offer back in training camp, which Brady declined, choosing instead to hit free agency. According to Yates, the Patriots are now waiting for Brady to come back with an offer. This comes after a report last week that a call between Brady and Bill Belichick went poorly.

As Karen Guregian of The Boston Herald notes, by putting the ball in Brady's court, the Patriots are indicating that there is a limit to what they would pay Brady and how much they want him back.

What Brady can fetch on the open market, and how many teams will bid on him, seems as if it will go a long way in determining his next team.