Getty Antonio Pierce & Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Las Vegas Raiders are still waiting for Tom Brady’s ownership stake in the team to be approved but he could still have other plans. Brady retired during the 2023 offseason and it was the first season he wasn’t on an NFL team since 2000.
Brady has already come out of retirement once and said he doesn’t want to do it again. However, a year away from football may have softened his stance. The legendary quarterback was recently given a hypothetical scenario where it’s toward the end of the season and a playoff team loses their starting quarterback. Would he be willing to return just for a playoff push?
“I’m not opposed to it,” Brady said on the April 11 episode of “DeepCut with VicBlends” when asked about a possible NFL return.
Prior to being given the scenario, Brady threw out the Raiders and New England Patriots as possible teams that could interest him if he were to return. He turns 47 in August and would instantly be the oldest player in the NFL if he came back. It sounds like it would have to be a perfect scenario for him to return but nothing is off the table. There have been playoff teams that have had their seasons derailed in the past due to quarterback injuries so Brady could be an interesting player to watch if a big injury happens next season.
Would Las Vegas Raiders Want Tom Brady Playing QB?
Last offseason, the Raiders were heavily linked to Tom Brady. He had a longstanding relationship with former head coach Josh McDaniels and the team had a need at quarterback. However, Brady decided to choose retirement over coming to Las Vegas.
A year later, the Raiders still have a need at quarterback and are expected to target the position in the draft. It doesn’t sound like Brady has much interest in spending a full season with a team so Las Vegas wouldn’t sign him to be the quarterback right now.
That said, if the Raiders play well in 2024 but have quarterback issues, then it could be a possibility that he’d be an option but there would be some hurdles to clear.
Can Tom Brady Play & Be an Owner?
Tom Brady’s ownership in the Raiders hasn’t been approved yet but there’s no reason to believe it won’t eventually happen. If he were to get approved before the 2024 season, a return to the field would be much more complicated.
According to a 2023 report from TMZ, Brady would technically be allowed to play again if he owned a team but it would require a vote from the owners. He would need 24 or 32 teams to approve him being a player again.
The problem here is that there likely wouldn’t be many teams looking to help the Raiders, especially if they’re a playoff team toward the end of the season. Now, Brady is great for ratings and his triumphant return would likely bring a ton of money back into the NFL. Would NFL owners prefer to put the Raiders at a competitive disadvantage or to make more money? This would be an unprecedented situation so it’s impossible to know.