Getty Tom Brady remains retired, but the Vikings could come calling. The team's fans want it that way at least.
While Tom Brady remains retired, the Minnesota Vikings possibly losing quarterback Kirk Cousins for the season brings unique intrigue for the retired superstar.
Brady’s mother, Galynn, is from Browerville, Minnesota, where the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback spent many summers in childhood. Secondly, Brady played with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, a former Patriots backup quarterback in 2008.
Just a picture of #Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and future Hall of Fame QB Tom Brady
That is all
All of this has fans and media clamoring for Brady’s return. Most notably, a Vikings fan, @SkolBros, messaged Brady on Instagram in vain hopes the seven-time Super Bowl champion will reply.
“Say the Vikings lost Kirk today,” the fan wrote. “Have you ever thought about having Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson to throw to? The OL has been playing well and you wouldn’t get hit much. Let us know if you could come help us out.”
Brady played 20 seasons for the Patriots followed by three with the Bucs before his retirement in February. He double downed on staying retired despite the occasional rumor because of his brief retirement and unretirement in 2022.
“I can’t tease that,” Tom said about unretirement during the “Let’s Go!” podcast on October 9 . “My parents would call. My kids would call. They’d kill me. I wouldn’t be around by tonight.”
Whether or not O’Connell will call his famous former teammate about a comeback remains to be seen.
Tom Brady Would Have a Unique Opportunity With Vikings
Minnesota would provide a unique backdrop for Brady if he — albeit dangerously — changed course.
The Vikings have an 0-4 mark all time in the Super Bowl — worse than the Patriots when Brady arrived. Previous Hall of Fame quarterbacks who played for the Vikings — Fran Tarkenton, Warren Moon, and Brett Favre — couldn’t grasp the Lombardi Trophy.
As for targets, Jefferson would arguably give Brady his best target since Randy Moss, ironically a former Vikings receiver, in 2007. With that said, jumping midseason and winning a Super Bowl has worked only once during Brady’s storied career, and that wasn’t him.
Former Bucs and Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown pulled that feat in October 2020 when he joined the Bucs. A quarterback would be an entirely different story.
Tom Brady Names the Next Greatest Quarterback
With Brady retired indefinitely, he named who he thinks will be the next greatest quarterback during an October 23 edition of the “Let’s Go!” podcast.
“Good question. I think when I’m looking at guys in pro football, quarterbacks, Patrick’s the one that really stands out,” Brady said. “They’ve done a great job since he’s really taken over. And he’s got a really great coach, like I was fortunate [to have], like you were fortunate [to have] that helps you and is there for you when things are going good and not good. Gives you the humble pie when things are going good and knows how to pick you up when things aren’t good.”
Brady experienced both ends of the spectrum in going up against Mahomes-led teams. He led the Patriots to a win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 AFC Championship Game, and he helped the Bucs blast the Chiefs in the 2021 Super Bowl.
Otherwise, Brady had a three-game losing streak against the Chiefs in the regular season with both the Patriots and Bucs. His lone regular season win against a Mahomes-led Chiefs team came in 2018.