Getty Former Dallas Cowboys QB Troy Aikman.
The rumors surrounding Tom Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders refuse to die. Dating back to 2020, the silver and black have been heavily linked to the quarterback. According to UFC President Dana White, Brady actually had a deal in place to sign with the team before former head coach Jon Gruden backed out.
This offseason seemed like the stars finally aligned for Brady to be the quarterback of the Raiders but he ended up retiring instead. However, he’s still going to end up joining the Raider family. He’s buying an ownership stake in the team pending league approval. Now that it has been revealed that Jimmy Garoppolo underwent surgery recently and is still out, speculation is heating back up that Brady will suit up for the team. Hall of Fame quarterback and ESPN color commentator Troy Aikman believes that it is certainly a possibility that the quarterback will play in Las Vegas this season.
“It’s a good fit for Tom,” Aikman told TMZ Sports of Brady joining Raiders ownership. “I’m not surprised by it, especially after his other partnership with (owner) Mark Davis. … I would imagine, being Tom Brady and being a silent partner or a minority investor would be hard, to only be that. I would think that he would want to have a fairly significant role within the organization.
“Maybe (he’d be) involved to the point where he’s actually suiting up,” Aikman continued. “I don’t wanna speak for Tom. (But) I wouldn’t rule anything out. He obviously has a relationship with the head coach, he knows the offense, he’ll keep himself in great shape. … I would bet that nothing’s off the table, as far as what may occur during the season, or what Tom’s role may be. I think he’s done playing, but you just never know.”
Brady Playing for Raiders Will Be Difficult
The idea of Brady buying an ownership stake in the Raiders and becoming the first owner to play is a great story, but is it realistic? From a literal standpoint, it’s possible. If Brady gets approved by the NFL and becomes a part owner of the team, he would also need 24 of the 32 owners to approve him playing.
Why would teams want to help out the Raiders? They wouldn’t. The three AFC West teams would almost certainly vote against the idea, which means 24 of the remaining 29 teams would have to approve him. Mark Davis is a not powerful enough owner to be able to sway teams to give him what he wants. If Brady wants to play one more season for the Raiders, his best path is to hold off on buying an ownership stake until after the season.
Garoppolo Should Be Fine
The Raiders have known about Garoppolo’s surgery since before he signed his contract. If the team was truly concerned about his availability this season, they would’ve done more to address the quarterback depth behind him. Now, if Garoppolo does have a setback, the Brady factor is interesting considering his familiarity with Josh McDaniels‘ offense. It’s a good insurance policy to have in the event that Garoppolo can’t play.
That’s likely the only way the Raiders would try to get Brady to come out of retirement.