It may be another 10 years before Tom Brady NFL rumors stop completely, as we have our latest circling the trending news topic bars. Brady commented earlier this month on a potential return to the NFL for him as a player in the event a team goes through a midseason injury with their quarterback group. Of course, that sparked New England Patriots fans to dream about Brady suiting up in New England again.
Brady mentioned the Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders – whom Brady is a minority owner of – as teams he would possibly play for. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo, Brady's teammate with the Patriots from 2008 to 2015, left the door open for the legend to return, but not between the numbers.
“I love Tom, and the door is always open if he wants to come in here and coach,” Mayo said Monday morning on WEEI. “But as far as going on the field, I don’t know. But if he comes in here, once again, going back to the ‘hey, the best player will play,’ you’ve gotta come in here in compete, and he loves competition. I doubt he’s gonna be walking through these doors any time soon.”
Brady is slated to continue his post-retirement media career with a gig as FOX's No. 1 color man during the 2024 NFL season. The future Hall of Fame quarterback still co-hosts a weekly podcast with Larry Fitzgerald.
It should not be surprising to hear Brady say he won’t rule out a triumphant comeback to the gridiron. It also shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear Mayo say he would be open to letting Brady join the coaching staff. Why wouldn’t the greatest player in franchise history be of help to a rebuild?
Will Brady seriously consider a comeback?
Plenty of athletes have talked the talk but never walked the walk when it comes to unretiring. Brady himself is one of the few who did retire, albeit for a short period, only to get back on the field for one more season. After a year-plus off, can we really envision Brady putting the pads back on?
It seems like a long shot, but if anyone could do it at 47 years old it's Tom Brady. There would be hoops to jump through though considering he is an owner of an NFL franchise. Perhaps it wouldn’t be too difficult to get past if he signed with the Raiders, but if the Patriots become a possibility it might cause problems.
One thing missing from this Brady return talk is his mention of joining a contending team in the middle of the season. The Raiders nor the Patriots are expected to be playoff contenders next season as they both embark with first-year head coaches and quarterbacks.
Brady becoming a coach is more realistic than Brady becoming a player again, but anything is possible. It's hard to see Brady turning away from his out-of-this-world payday from FOX to risk his body for a few more weeks in the sun with the fellas.
Patriots putting their faith in Drake Maye
The Patriots hope they have their next franchise QB in Drake Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Maye has the path to start right away and should be given the keys to the Patriots' offense sooner rather than later.
If there is a world where Tom Brady can come in and give Maye some pointers, it would be foolish for the Pats to not pursue that. The Miami Dolphins have Dan Marino join QB meetings as an advisor, as documented on Hard Knocks. Perhaps that could be a role that suits Brady, though it could conflict with his media responsibilities.
Still, if the Patriots' plan works out and Maye turns into the guy, there is plenty of time and thus opportunity for Brady to offer his coaching services. It would be a thrill to most football fans, Pats faithful especially, to see Brady with a headset on the sideline shouting instructions to QBs and offensive players alike.
It might not happen for a few years, but a coaching gig for Tom Brady should never be ruled out. Playing for the Patriots again though? That does not have a high probability.
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