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With just two games left and the playoffs essentially out of reach for the Las Vegas Raiders, the focus will now turn to the team’s plans at quarterback. Derek Carr signed a contract extension in the offseason but the team can get out of it with only having a small dead cap hit. If Las Vegas decides to cut or trade the quarterback, they’re going to need to bring in a new one.
Unless the Raiders are planning a total rebuild, they’ll need to bring in a capable veteran quarterback. Luckily for head coach Josh McDaniels, the perfect one for his system could be available. There was chatter about the team being interested in Tom Brady in the past and now it’s back with the future Hall of Famer headed for free agency in the offseason. The Raiders would be the most obvious fit for him if they move on from Carr due to the fact that he spent two decades working with McDaniels in New England. Former NFL scout John Middlekauff is predicting that Brady will end up in Las Vegas.
“Tom Brady is not gonna want to retire,” Middlekauff said on the “3 and Out” podcast. “He’s single. He looks miserable with Tampa. … The point is, Tom’s not in a good head space mentally. If you tell me Tom Brady is on a different team and doesn’t retire next year, my prediction would be the Las Vegas Raiders.”
Is Brady Retiring?
All of this speculation of Brady joining the Raiders could be pointless if the quarterback retires when the season ends. He already retired once last offseason and this season has been one of the worst of his career. He might be ready to call it a career as he’s already cemented himself as the greatest quarterback of all time. That said, there are reasons why he might continue playing.
Brady had a high-profile divorce recently and is newly single. It’s no secret that Gisele Bundchen was pushing for him to retire and he didn’t want to. Well, now he’s got nobody to stop him from continuing to play. He’s still healthy and can throw the ball well. He’s having a down year but is just a year removed from throwing 43 touchdowns. Perhaps going back to an offensive-minded head coach who he knows well is what he needs to keep from retiring.
Would Adding Brady Be Right Move for Raiders?
Carr and Brady have similar numbers this season so it’s fair to question if swapping them would be the right move. The Brady of 2020 and 2021 would be a big upgrade but the Brady of 2022 wouldn’t be much of one. The Raiders would have to hope that reuniting him with McDaniels would bring him back to form.
It could be worth the risk if the team is deadset on moving on from Carr. They’ll need a good quarterback to replace him and Brady is at least a good quarterback at this stage in his career. That said, they’d likely need to draft a young quarterback to be the eventual replacement. Signing Brady might not be a slam dunk but it could get the Raiders over the hump for a season or two.
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