Getty Josh McDaniels with Dave Ziegler.
With the Derek Carr era essentially coming to an end, it’s time for the Las Vegas Raiders to look to the future at quarterback. That could lead them in many different directions but they would be wise to find a capable veteran to take over for next season. There is too much veteran talent on the offense to rely on a rookie or a lackluster quarterback.
Luckily for the Raiders, the perfect fit might be available to them. Things aren’t going well with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season. While they should still make the playoffs, the team is 7-8 and could be looking at an early exit. Brady spent over a decade working with Josh McDaniels in New England. There likely isn’t a person outside of McDaniels who knows more about that offense than Brady. Jeff Howe of The Athletic believes that the future Hall of Famer ending up in Las Vegas makes a ton of sense for both sides.
“Similarly, as the Bucs offensive system melted down around him this season, it would only be natural for Brady to gravitate toward the one led by McDaniels,” Howe wrote. “This would also mitigate the idea of starting over as a 46-year-old because Brady would be so familiar with his longtime friend’s way of doing business.”
Rob Gronkowski to Join Brady?
Five-time Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski recently revealed that he’s been getting calls about a potential NFL return. However, he said that he doesn’t have the itch to come back. That could change if going to Las Vegas with Brady becomes an option. Howe can already envision Gronkowski fitting in perfectly with the Raiders.
“Brady and Davante Adams would be a dominant duo,” Howe wrote. “Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow can command the middle of the field, which is an element the Bucs have lacked this season. And if Brady busted out the conch shell to get Gronk to Vegas, he’d be cannonballing at Drai’s before the echo faded.”
A tight end duo of Darren Waller and Gronkowski could be the best in the NFL. The two would present a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. Gronkowski has dealt with injuries throughout his career so having Waller around would help take the burden off him to play a ton of snaps. Plus, the Raiders have Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow. If Brady can return to 2021 form, there isn’t a defense in the NFL that consistently stop that offense.
Would Brady Want to Play for McDaniels Again?
On paper, Brady reuniting with McDaniels makes too much sense not to happen. However, the situation could be more complicated. Back in 2020, veteran NFL reporter Gary Myers revealed that Brady and McDaniels may not have had the best relationship towards the end of the quarterback’s tenure with the Patriots.
“Hard to present an order of why Tom Brady didn’t want to return to Patriots,” Myers wrote in a tweet. “But one thing has been very much overlooked, according to an excellent source: His deteriorating relationship with OC Josh McDaniels. Tom was worn out by Josh after all these years. That surprised me.”
Myers is a respected reporter but Brady eventually came out and denied the report while calling it “nonsense.”
Tom Brady’s reaction to the report that his relationship with Josh McDaniels had gone south:
“Please stop this nonsense! Please be more responsible with reporting”
Longtime Patriots insider Tom Curran added that Myers “sexed” up the report.
There could be truth to the notion that Brady and McDaniels didn’t have the best relationship at the time, but it doesn’t appear that it is unsalvageable. The two have remained friends and could likely work things out. It’s a known fact that Brady was previously interested in coming to Las Vegas back in 2020, which has been confirmed by Gronkowski and UFC president Dana White. It shouldn’t take much to convince the two stars to come to Sin City.