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When Tom Brady was a free agent in 2020, the interest around him wasn’t as high as it probably should’ve been for the greatest quarterback of all time. There wasn’t an obvious suitor for him and he could’ve ended up with a number of teams. It appears that things will be different with his second stint in free agency about to happen. The Las Vegas Raiders are set to go all-in on Brady.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated already reported that it is a “fact” that the Raiders will go after him. There has only been more smoke surrounding the rumors since. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Raiders are going to “aggressively pursue” the future Hall of Famer in free agency:
The Las Vegas Raiders plan to be very aggressive in their pursuit of quarterback Tom Brady this offseason, according to multiple sources.
The Raiders, who hope to find a trade partner for longtime starting quarterback Derek Carr within the next four weeks, believe they can land the seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback for his age 46 season. The prevailing belief around the league is that while Brady retired for 40 days in 2022, he will likely play in 2023 and will likely play outside of Tampa.
Raiders See Brady as ‘Program Changer’
The Raiders have decided to move on from a good quarterback in Derek Carr. They can’t just replace him with somebody who is worse. They likely knew they wanted to pursue Brady this offseason before they made the decision to bench Carr. The nine-year starter was a good solider for the Raiders and is the most statically proficient quarterback in franchise history. However, he never won a single playoff game in nine years. The team also didn’t win a playoff game in the decade before he joined the team.
If the Raiders want to fix the franchise, they need a difference-maker at quarterback. That’s what they think Brady can be even at 46.
“Beyond that, the Raiders would also get what one source called a ‘program changer,'” Jones wrote. “Much like Brady lifted the Buccaneers to great heights in 2020 and 2021, the Raiders would get a quarterback who has won (as it stands now) 33 playoff games since the Raiders franchise last won one.”
Other Teams to Be Interested in Brady
Brady has a strong connection to the Raiders coaching staff. There are many former New England Patriots coaches in Las Vegas currently. The strongest connection is between Brady and head coach Josh McDaniels. The two won six Super Bowls together and there isn’t a quarterback in the NFL who knows the coach’s offensive system better.
While a reunion between the two makes a lot of sense, the Raiders will have to convince the quarterback that they are the best option. According to Jones, there could be a few other teams vying for Brady’s services.
“The Raiders would very likely have some competition for Brady, though,” Jones wrote. “Could the 49ers be interested? The Dolphins could take another run at Brady. And wherever Sean Payton ends up could also be a landing spot for the GOAT.”
If the 49ers do end up showing interest in Brady, they’d be the favorite. He’s from Northern California and is a fan of the franchise. Plus, they have a loaded roster that would be a Super Bowl contender with him on the roster. The Raiders might be hoping that Brock Purdy keeps looking good in the playoffs so that San Francisco decides not to even take a serious look at Brady.
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