Getty Tom Brady throws a pass for Tampa Bay in a 2023 playoff game.
The Detroit Lions have plenty of issues to sort out this offseason, but one area that most figure the team won’t have to worry about is at quarterback.
Most people, however, aren’t Mike Florio of NBC Sports and Pro Football Talk. Florio has beaten the drum for big moves at quarterback from the Lions before in the form of Baker Mayfield last offseason, and is doing it again before the 2023 offseason even gets underway.
This time, Florio thinks the team should make a play for Tom Brady, the aging veteran quarterback that could be looking to play another season in the league. At 46, the legendary Brady is far from the impact player he once was, but he could be looking for the right situation to make one more run at a title.
Florio along with fellow analyst Chris Simms postulated that the Lions are an intriguing destination for Brady once the offseason gets going. Why? The Lions might offer Brady a sneaky good shot to make one final run at playoff glory when all is said and done, and could be in good position to offer a solid destination for the legendary quarterback.
“Wouldn’t that be something? Tom Brady, back in Michigan. Tom Brady, with a Lions team that finished 2022 strong. A Lions team with an impressive nucleus of talented players. A Lions team that quarterback Jared Goff may be able to lead on a deep run in the postseason, but may not be able to take over the top,” Florio wrote in the piece.
As Florio said, Brady has already shown he can elevate a team, and having him on the roster would give them a better chance to make a Super Bowl than having Jared Goff.
“Brady has shown he can do it. Seven times. And while he’s 46, if the Lions want to finally make an appearance in the Super Bowl and possibly even win it, Brady could give them a better chance to do it than Goff,” he wrote.
As Florio also goes on to say, Brady would be a major draw for Lions fans in terms of attendance, and he hypothesizes that if Detroit were to get a call from Brady’s representation about interest, “it won’t be easy to say no” to him, and could be easier to say “hell yes.”
In spite of that fact, the Lions might not offer Brady the kind of complete situation he is looking for. Detroit’s defense was ranked 32nd in the league, and while the team has a solid offensive line and playmakers, they might need to give Brady even more help at tight end and receiver.
With or without Brady, the Lions will be a hot ticket in 2023 after a 9-8 finish, making Florio’s attendance point fairly moot, as well.
Detroit seems content with Jared Goff, as well as building their team through the draft for many years of contention. By adding a player like Brady, the Lions would have to chase lots of expensive veteran talent to fill out their roster. That would be more likely to hurt this process than help it.
Adding it all up, while it might be a fun idea for fans, this has little basis in reality at this point in time.
Goff’s Play Makes Lions Moving on Unlikely
In terms of reality, the Lions have no reason to be disappointed with their quarterback statistically and otherwise, which is why they are unlikely to make such a big move at the position with Goff.
This past year, Goff put up a very solid 29 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. Goff has thrown for a quality 4,438 yards with a decent 99.3 QBR. Goff was a quality game manager for the Lions. He avoided the big mistakes for the most part, and been a player who has looked very comfortable within the team’s offense.
Detroit is likely to keep Goff given what he was able to do in leading a resurgent Lions offense most of the year, and it sounds as if that is just what the front office wants to do. Brad Holmes spoke a few weeks ago, and admitted Goff has proven himself as the team’s quarterback.
Nothing Goff did in 2022 helped to make it obvious that he should lose the job in the future. For that reason, the Lions seem unlikely to shake things up at the position, even for a big name with clout like Brady.
Brady Has Multiple 2023 Destination Options
In Brady’s unique situation, he will have his pick of scenarios he wants to join. Given the fact he is playing out the string in his career, Brady is unlikely to take any type of chance on a place he is not completely comfortable with.
Early on, speculation as it relates to Brady’s next team has centered on the likes of the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets and even potentially a return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In all of those spots, the teams don’t have an obvious quarterback on the roster for the 2023 season.
Las Vegas will likely trade Derek Carr soon, opening a spot with former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels for Brady. Early rumors have centered on this potential marriage. The Jets have a need with Zach Wilson perhaps out of favor, and while Brady may move on from Tampa Bay, he could simply elect for a return there given a weak NFC South division.
There’s plenty of spots that Brady could land, and given the Lions already have a quarterback, it doesn’t seem as if they are a location that would make sense in the end.
Clearly, though, Florio isn’t going to let those facts stand in the way of his opinion that the Lions should be making a play.