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Tom Brady Floated as Replacement QB for AFC Contender

Getty Tom Brady remains retired as the list of teams that need a quarterback grows.

It could take a while longer for Tom Brady comeback rumors to wear off.

CBS Sports’ John Breech suggested Brady as a possibility for the Cleveland Browns amid a season-ending shoulder injury to quarterback Deshaun Watson. Brady, the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar, retired on February 1, and he’s maintained that status since.

“The Browns have a strong roster from top to bottom and the addition of Brady would potentially make them a Super Bowl contender. It will be interesting to see if the Browns reach out,” Breech wrote, “because if they do, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him at least contemplate taking the job, considering it would give him a legitimate shot at an eighth Super Bowl ring.”

As Breech pointed out, the New York Jets previously had reason to toy with luring Brady out of retirement after quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles injury. Breech noted that wouldn’t have suited Brady well because “the Jets have a bad offensive line, and it would have been tough for Brady to survive behind that” this season.


Tom Brady on a Comeback: ‘Next Question’

Cleveland has a stronger offensive line, Breech pointed out, but that might not be enough for Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl champion shot down the Jets idea quickly on his “Let’s Go!” podcast earlier this season.

“Next question,” Brady said on the podcast. “You already know. I love being with you guys on Mondays and I love what we got going.”

With that said, Brady did that podcast during his NFL career. For now, Brady remains retired with his NFL broadcasting career with FOX around the corner.


Tom Brady Voices Thoughts on Patriots’ Struggles

Brady hasn’t hid from his former team’s struggles on his podcast, and he shared what he thinks the Patriots will need to do differently.

“You’ve got to change your strategy, different weeks there’s different challenges, and I think the Patriots, they’re just having a tough stretch, just not playing with the kind of confidence that you’ve always seen,” Brady said during the Monday, November 13 edition of the podcast.

“Obviously Coach [Bill] Belichick, I don’t think he’s coaching any different now than the way he coached when we were undefeated,” Brady said, noting the 16-0 season in 2007. “There’s a lot of things that need to go right in order to win and succeed.”

Brady never endured a losing season as the Patriots’ starting quarterback, but he did serve as a backup during a 5-11 season in 2000, his rookie campaign. He also endured a losing season in 2022, his final year with the Buccaneers.

“The more I sit back and watch — everyone wants to celebrate when you win as an organization; everyone’s responsible,” Brady said. “And the same’s true, everyone’s responsible when you lose, too. Everyone can’t be on the bus when you win and be off the bus when you lose and [say], ‘Let’s point the finger at one person.”

“When you look at losing, the organization loses, the fan base loses; everyone’s in it together,” Brady added.

The Patriots will need to climb their way out of a 2-8 start to make the most of the second half of the season after the bye week. New England faces the New York Giants in Week 12 on November 26.

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While former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady remains retired, the list of quarterback-needy teams grows.