Tom Brady has done it once before — and many have wondered why he couldn’t just do it again. Brady has openly flirted with a second unretirement from the NFL in recent weeks, but a new report following the 2024 draft casts doubt on whether the legendary quarterback will actually play again this coming season.
Brady has been frustrated at the slow-moving process to acquire an ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders — who did not move aggressively to select a quarterback in this year’s draft. But the 46-year-old, soon to begin a lucrative broadcasting gig with FOX, is not expected to be the Raiders‘ savior should they end up needing a proven commodity under center in the cutthroat AFC West.
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According to ESPN‘s Dan Graziano, Brady is “likely not” going to pursue a second NFL comeback this decade — at least, not right now. Brady has not been preparing this offseason as if he is going to return to pro football, and Graziano believes this is the strongest indicator that the seven-time Super Bowl winner is more serious this time about his retirement — even if the Raiders need another signal-caller.
Initially, Brady retired following the 2021 NFL season before opting to return for 2022 and calling it quits after that campaign. Brady has since established close ties with Raiders owner Mark Davis and watched the team select tight end Brock Bowers — regarded as one of the draft’s top offensive weapons — at 13th overall on Thursday night. Las Vegas is poised to enter the 2024 season with veteran Gardner Minshew and former fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell as its options at quarterback, which many regard as insufficient in a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.
However, Graziano speculated that Brady could be enticed into a midseason return if the Raiders really struggle in coach Antonio Pierce‘s first full season. And that return would only happen in Las Vegas. Brady’s former teams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England Patriots, have kicked off new eras — Tampa Bay re-signed Baker Mayfield to a three-year contract this spring, while New England selected Drake Maye with the #3 overall pick in this year’s draft.
It remains to be seen whether the Raiders rue their inability to trade up for Bo Nix or Michael Penix, as it seems clear that Brady is not seriously contemplating putting his cleats back on in 2024 and adding to his NFL records for touchdowns, passing yards, and games played by a non-kicker.
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