Tom Brady back to the Pats?
Jeff Howe says it could happen
I don't see it.
Tom Brady
Brady, who will be a free agent for the second time in his career, must first decide if he wants to continue playing. At this point, his plans remain a total mystery.
If Brady wants to return for a 24th season as a 46-year-old, he shouldn’t rule out the idea of joining a third team. The
Buccaneers have taken a major step back on offense this season without Bruce Arians at head coach or much of a ground game, so Brady should seek assurances from the decision-makers of an improved schematic plan and upgrades on the offensive line.
Otherwise, there are four natural locations for his next spot, starting with his hometown
49ers. They’re well-coached by Kyle Shanahan, and they’ve got a championship-caliber roster. While they’ve also got a potential franchise quarterback
Trey Lance in waiting, the 49ers should favor a proven veteran over an inexperienced QB, regardless of Lance’s astronomical potential.
And then there’s Brady’s longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and the
Raiders. If Brady has concerns over the Bucs offense or adjusting to Shanahan’s complex scheme, he’d surely be attracted
to the familiarity of McDaniels’ system. However, the Raiders absolutely must improve their offensive line, and they’ve got to be much better defensively to be viewed as a Super Bowl contender, so those might cause hesitation for Brady.
But what about
Derek Carr? He’s been good, not great this season, but it’s hard to be a consistently productive quarterback without a good line. There’s also an understandable adjustment period with a new offensive system.
If the Raiders don’t net Brady, they might believe Carr will be even better in 2023. And if they do land Brady, Carr would have solid trade value, likely in the range of a first-round pick.
Don’t discount the
Titans, either. Brady has remained extremely close with Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel since their time together with the
Patriots, and that roster is also built to keep contending. They’re tough, and they play the right way. That’ll be appealing to Brady.
But for the Titans, can they be comfortable trading quarterback
Ryan Tannehill and assuming $18.8 million in dead cap money? It’d take an aggressive series of moves, but Vrabel and general manager Jon Robinson have built an aggressive team. They should easily control the AFC South with Brady.
And finally — maybe hold onto your phone with two hands for this one — don’t ever write off the Patriots.
Brady and Bill Belichick still have an abundance of respect for one another. They’ve made points to say it publicly on multiple occasions since the QB departed for Tampa. They also spent 23 minutes together in the visiting locker room at Gillette Stadium following Brady’s return in 2021 — an appointment they set up prior to the game.
The Patriots are slated to have more than $50 million in cap space in 2023, so they can again address their flaws, this time on the heels of a couple impressive draft classes.
The issues? Not the egos. Not the pride.
For Brady, he’d have to know the offense is in capable hands. There have been criticisms of Matt Patricia’s first season as a play caller —
plenty warranted, others exaggerated — and Brady benefited by an abundance of stability with the offensive coordinator in New England. He’d either need to be comfortable with Patricia or push for a reunion with someone like Bill O’Brien, currently the Alabama offensive coordinator, to ensure he’s not wasting a season as a 46-year-old. Sure, Brady would return to run his offense, but he can’t also coordinate it.
For the Patriots, they should want clarity on Brady’s future. Is he going year to year? Do they need to fully guarantee a second season, something Belichick wouldn’t do before Brady walked in 2020?
Realistically, the Patriots wouldn’t even need to trade
Mac Jones, whose rookie contract runs through 2024 plus the fifth-year option in 2025. While they certainly could — and as is the case with many starting quarterbacks, they’d start the trade conversations with the hopes of recouping a first-round pick — there’d be loads of value in Jones learning from Brady.
Maybe it’s a long shot. There might be better situations for Brady. But just when you think you’ve got Belichick figured out, he does something no one sees coming.
Could the NFL QB carousel again spin as wildly as it did last offseason? There are a few key dominos to keep an eye on.
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