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The Las Vegas Raiders could be in a vastly different situation right now had Jon Gruden made a quarterback change. There were always rumors that he was going to switch things up and they reached a fever pitch when Tom Brady was linked to the team in 2020. There were a number of rumors suggesting that Las Vegas was ready to make an offer but nothing ever materialized.
Brady ended up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Raiders stuck with Derek Carr. However, UFC president Dana White decided to reopen the situation when he revealed back in August that there was actually a deal in place to get Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski to Las Vegas. The deal was ready to move forward until Gruden decided he’d rather stick with Carr.
Gronkowski confirmed the rumor so there’s almost no doubt that it was true. White couldn’t just leave the Brady talk alone after that. He was a guest on last week’s “Manningcast” broadcast of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the New Orleans Saints and was asked about the rumors he reported on. He doubled down on them.
“The deal was in the works for both of those guys to come play for the Raiders,” White told Peyton and Eli Manning.
Brady to Raiders Rumors Making a Return?
Carr was likely hoping that rumors about Brady taking his job were over and done with this offseason when he got a contract extension and the quarterback retired. However, Brady is still playing and doesn’t appear set to retire after the season. He’s also about to be a free agent again.
Naturally, the Raiders will be linked to the future Hall of Famer. Head coach Josh McDaniels coached Brady for two decades in New England and they have a great relationship. Brady was an integral part of McDaniels development of his offense. Considering the Raiders have had a disappointing season with Carr at the helm, it’s possible that the team might consider replacing him with Brady. While that will certainly be a talking point this offseason, it’s still highly unlikely. The Raiders have improved in recent weeks and Carr is getting more comfortable in the offense. He’s over a decade younger than Brady and is actually having a similar season statistically. Unless Las Vegas looks awful down the stretch, Carr is should keep his job for at least one more year.
Carr Excited for Thursday Night Football
Carr is about to take centerstage in primetime and having a big game would certainly help squash any rumors about his job status. He’s looking at it as just another game but is excited to come back to Los Angeles where the Raiders have a huge fan base.
“Man, to be honest, for us, it’s important because it’s our next game,” Carr said Tuesday. “And because of the way that we didn’t win certain games early on in the season, every next game is the most important. And so, for us, it’s this week’s game, it’s a new challenge. Like you said, defending champs, stars all over the field on their side of the football. And so, it’s a tough challenge for us, but it’s what I’m excited about. Our fans usually travel well to L.A., so I’m excited about that.”
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