Getty General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (L) and Head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings might have a phone call to make.
In light of their recent efforts to gather intel on the incoming crop of quarterbacks and the potential difficulties they may face in trying to acquire one, their best option could be to put in a call to a retired player.
Not just any retired player, though. That call should go to 15-time Pro Bowler and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.
Even while saying he is “100%” retired, Brady recently entertained the idea of a comeback.
“I’m not opposed to it if they would,” Brady said on the “DeepCuts” podcast on April 11. “I don’t know if they’re going to let me if I become an owner in the NFL team. But I don’t know. I’m always going to be in good shape, always be able to throw the ball.
“To come in for a little bit like MJ [Michael Jordan] coming back? I don’t know if they let me but I wouldn’t be opposed to it all.”
“Let’s say the Minnesota Vikings call… Who’s more gifted in the NFL offensively?”
— @ColinCowherd on Tom Brady saying he’s not opposed to late-season return
Brady turns 47 years old in August.
He would join Hall-of-Famer George Blanda as the oldest quarterbacks to play in the NFL. Brady became the oldest quarterback to start an NFL game in his final season, spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady completed 66.8% of his passes for 4,694 yards, 25 touchdowns, and nine interceptions with the Bucs in 2022.
It was a mediocre season in terms of his touchdowns and interceptions.
Tom Brady Was Still Effective in Final Season
GettyTom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady did lead the NFL in attempts and completions, though. And the yardage was the sixth-most of his storied career. The Vikings should be capable of meeting Brady’s potential contractual demands.
Brady inked a one-year, $15 million contract to return for his final season after a brief foray into retirement.
The Vikings have $17.6 million in cap space, per Spotrac, and can create more.
With $332.9 million in career earnings already pocketed from football, the Vikings might be able to keep Brady’s asking price down in a potential bidding war. Host VicBlends asked Brady about the possibility that the San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, or New England Patriots called.
“DraftKings created odds, favoring Brady staying in the Fox Broadcast booth,” The Denver Post’s Troy Renck wrote on April 13. “If he does return, the Patriots are +250, followed by the Raiders and the field at +400 and the 49ers at +800. If Brady returns, it makes sense that it would be for a contender.”
The Vikings may seem like a tough sell coming off a 7-10 season in the wake of what Renck termed as his “message to the league.”
The Buccaneers were 7-10 the year before Brady signed.
Vikings Can Support Tom Brady’s Potential Comeback
GettyQuarterbacks Tom Brady #12 (R) and Kevin O’Connell #5 of the New England Patriots.
Minnesota has a highly rated organization, per the players themselves. Justin Jefferson headlines the list of potentially appealing aspects of playing for the Vikings. But the other options – namely Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones – rival any complementary trio.
Jefferson arguably puts the group over the top.
Head Coach Kevin O’Connell is also highly regarded, comes from one of the NFL’s most quarterback-friendly systems, and has a history with Brady.
The Patriots drafted O’Connell in the third round (94th overall) of the 2008 draft. He mostly backed up Matt Cassell after Brady suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee in Week 1 of that season.
Brady’s pending purchase of a minority stake in the Raiders looms as a potential issue.
However, if the future Hall of Famer is plotting yet another comeback, the Vikings make sense as a potential suitor. Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall are their current options.