Getty Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis.
If Tom Brady hadn’t retired this offseason, there’s a good chance he’s playing quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023. He was a free agent and the team had a need at quarterback prior to the signing of Jimmy Garoppolo. It also helps that head coach Josh McDaniels worked with Brady for years while they were both with the New England Patriots.
Though the Raiders won’t be employing the quarterback this year, owner Mark Davis is partnering with him. Both Davis and Brady announced that the future Hall of Fame quarterback is buying a minority stake in the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA.
“I am very excited to be part of the Las Vegas Aces organization,” Brady said in a statement Thursday, via ESPN. “My love for women’s sports began at a young age when I would tag along to all my older sisters’ games — they were by far the best athletes in our house! We celebrated their accomplishments together as a family, and they remain a great inspiration to me.
“I have always been a huge fan of women’s sports, and I admire the work that the Aces’ players, staff, and the WNBA continue to do to grow the sport and empower future generations of athletes. To be able to contribute in any way to that mission as a member of the Aces organization is an incredible honor.”
Brady has been seen at Aces games before and frequents Las Vegas. He’s now going to try his hand at being a part-owner of the team. Davis is quite excited to have Brady join the defending WNBA champions.
“Tom Brady is a win not only for the Aces, and the WNBA, but for women’s professional sports as a whole,” Davis said in a statement.
Honored to be joining the @LVAces family, a world class organization with a team of incredible athletes
Could Brady Still Play for Raiders?
While Brady says he’s done with the NFL for good this time, it’s not difficult to envision a scenario where he decides to return. FOX Sports’ Nick Wright recently floated the idea of Brady joining the Raiders if Garoppolo were to suffer a serious injury during the season. The relationship with Davis is there so it would certainly be in the realm of possibility if the Raiders don’t use their first-round pick on a quarterback. There’s already speculation that Brady could suit up in silver and black.
So Jimmy G gets hurt and Tom Brady jogs over from the Aces sideline to save the day?
It’s still highly unlikely Brady does come out of retirement to play for the Raiders. If the team thought that was possible, they wouldn’t have signed Garoppolo and would’ve taken a risk with Jarrett Stidham and a rookie. Davis and McDaniels are close with Brady so they’d be the ones to have the inside scoop if he was planning to come back.
Could Brady Join Brady in an Executive Capacity?
While Brady’s playing days are likely over, his involvement in football almost certainly isn’t. He has a job lined up with FOX Sports to be a color commentator but he may want to be more involved with the sport. Pro Football Talk reported in 2022 that Brady was nearing a deal with the Miami Dolphins to become the starting quarterback and a minority owner before that fell through.
Perhaps Brady could have an interest in joining the Raiders franchise as a minority owner at some point. He’s already partners with Davis so it wouldn’t be a stretch to see that happening. He may want to wait a bit longer to see if really doesn’t want to play anymore before making a move like that.