It’s about to be another interesting offseason for Tom Brady. The legendary quarterback spent a portion of last offseason in retirement before deciding he wasn’t ready to quit just yet. This year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hasn’t gone perfectly. The team went 8-9 but is still in the playoffs. Regardless, there appears to be a good chance he’ll move on to a new team in free agency.
If Brady does make a change, the Las Vegas Raiders are the most obvious fit. He previously had an interest in Las Vegas and his former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is now the head coach. While there’s been a ton of talk about which team Brady will end up on, he’s in the middle of a playoff run. Despite that, a reporter decided to ask him about all of the rumors, which led to an awkward exchange.
“What do you make of some of these reports now that are linking you to the Dolphins or the Raiders? You’re trying to lock in and focus on a football game,” the reporter said.
“What’s the question?” Brady replied.
“What do make of those reports, when you’re trying to lock in?”
“I don’t know,” Brady said. “You guys gotta write something new every day, so just wake up, try to show up and do my job.”
Bucs Tom Brady on reports linking interest in him from teams such as the Raiders, Dolphins and others.
Brady Likely Doesn’t Know His Plan Yet
A quarterback doesn’t win seven Super Bowls by getting easily distracted by rumors in the media. While Brady has almost certainly thought about his future beyond this season, he’s giving most of his focus to his current situation. The NFC is weak this year so there could be a scenario in which Tampa Bay goes on a bit of a run. A scenario like that may convince Brady to stick around for another season.
There’s also a chance he’ll retire. He already did it once and will be 46 when next season starts. He’ll likely take some time once the season ends to figure out what he wants to do. He’s still playing good football so he might want to play one more year before he hangs up the cleats.
Are the Raiders the Favorite to Add Brady?
The Raiders are going to make a change of quarterback this offseason with Derek Carr on his way out. Brady is the obvious candidate due to his connection to the coaching staff and front office. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Raiders are planning to go after the quarterback. However, will the quarterback want the Raiders?
On the surface, Las Vegas should have a lot of appeal to Brady. It’s a big city with a new stadium. There’s not a lot of competition in Las Vegas right now so he’d easily be the biggest face in the sports market there. He’d also get to play with Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, Darren Waller and Josh Jacobs. On the flip side, there are major concerns on the offensive line and defense. The Raiders need to have a comprehensive plan to fix those issues before Brady would even consider signing with the team. The Raiders want the quarterback but it remains to be seen if the feeling will be mutual.