The Las Vegas Raiders finally put an end to a disappointing 2022 season. As they turn to 2023, they will look for an upgrade at quarterback and already are working to bring Tom Brady to Las Vegas, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
“I can tell you, unequivocally, it is a fact,” Breer said on the January 9 episode of “The Dan Patrick Show.” “The Raiders are looking into signing Tom Brady.”
Brady, 45, will become a free agent after three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He led the league in completions (490) and was third in total passing yards (4,694). His 25 touchdown passes were way down from the 40 and 43 he threw in 2020 and 2021, respectively. And his quarterback rating of 52.5 was the lowest of his career.
The Raiders currently have Derek Carr, 31, under contract through 2025 with an out after this season. He is not expected to return next season after he was benched on December 28 and then stepped away from the team for the Raiders’ final two games of the season. Las Vegas is expected to try to trade Carr in the offseason, according to a January 1 report by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. They also could cut him outright.
They also have backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who was 0-2 as the starter after Carr’s benching. He had four touchdown passes, but he also had three interceptions.
Would Tom Brady Want to Be a Raider?
Bringing Brady to Las Vegas would reunite him with head coach Josh McDaniels, who was on the New England Patriots coaching staff for nearly two decades. The two were close, according to NBC Sports Boston.
Brady did have an interest in moving to Las Vegas back in 2020, according to according to UFC president Dana White and former teammate Rob Gronkowski. They’ve claimed that a Brady-Raiders deal was done before former head coach Jon Gruden backed out. Brady would eventually sign with the Buccaneers.
Under McDaniels, the Raiders were a hot mess this season, finishing 6-11, losing their last three games in a row and finishing third in the AFC West. Heading into Week 18, the Raiders’ offensive line ranked 11th in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. At one point, though, it was 24th in the league in pressures allowed, which would affect Brady, who was one of the least-sacked starting quarterbacks in the league in 2022.
Brady’s long relationship with McDaniels in New England points to the likelihood that he would be familiar with the offensive scheme in Las Vegas. And he would have effective receiver options in Darren Waller, Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow.
Jimmy Garoppolo Also a Candidate
Breer is also reporting that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will be looked at by the Raiders. Garoppolo played under McDaniels as Brady’s backup in New England from 2014 to 2016. Las Vegas might find more Garoppolo more appealing because of his salary. He made $7 million in 2022 compared with $30 million for Brady.
The Raiders will have the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft and could target a quarterback to develop, according to NFL.com, if they wound up signing Garoppolo or Brady as a stopgap quarterback.
“The Raiders could have some fascinating options at quarterback,” wrote NFL.com’s Dan Parr and Eric Edholm on January 8. “They could go the veteran route if they move on from Carr … but that would be a short-term fix, and the Raiders could opt to draft a McDaniels-approved prospect if they’re not convinced Jarrett Stidham is part of the solution.”
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Raiders Planning to Target Superstar QB: ‘This Is a Fact’