For the second straight offseason, the NFL world has been on pins and needles, wondering if Tom Brady would cut his retirement short. This time in the wake of the foot surgery and failed physical news involving his ex-teammate Jimmy Garoppolo.
Will Tom Brady Come Out of Retirement and Play in 2023?
Garoppolo being in jeopardy of potentially losing his spot on the Las Vegas Raiders lured the seven-time Super Bowl winner back into the news — this time with the thought Brady would replace Garoppolo behind center.
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However, Brady informed the world via Sports Illustrated that his retirement is not going to be disrupted this time around.
“I’m certain I’m not playing again, so I’ve tried to make that clear and I hate to continue to profess that, cause I’ve already told people that lots of times,” Brady said in a viral video.
Rumors Around Brady and the Raiders
Again, Brady’s name became an immediate thought in looking at the current state of the Raiders’ QB room outside of their $72 million signing Garoppolo.
Untested rookie Aidan O’Connell is one option if Garoppolo isn’t healthy or a go for 2023. Longtime veteran Brian Hoyer — who shares a New England Patriots connection with both Brady and Garoppolo plus head coach Josh McDaniel — is another possibility. Hoyer, however, hasn’t won an NFL start since 2016.
There’s also Chase Garbers, who arrived to Las Vegas as an undrafted free agent out of Cal. But all three names escalated the thoughts of the Raiders needing to turn to free agency if Garoppolo isn’t an option after all. And that’s where Brady’s name resurfaced.
Brady’s Attempt To Join Ownership Group
Further intensifying the Brady coming out of retirement chatter was his new involvement with the Raiders. On May 22, Brady moved into a position where he would have co-minority ownership of the Raiders pending league approval.
“We’re excited for Tom to join the Raiders, and it’s exciting because he will be just the third player in the history of the National Football League to become an owner,” owner Mark Davis said via the Associated Press.
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But in tracing back to the Brady playing rumors, there are hurdles Brady would face that were outlined by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
One dilemma Florio mentioned would be other teams have the power to voice against Brady going from owner to player, revealing that he would need a 32-0 vote of ownership to let him join the team. The other dilemmas include if Brady would accept a pay cut as a player while also serving as co-owner — which could circumvent the salary cap.
Brady, per ESPN, is still waiting on approval from eight NFL teams to have a stake in the ownership of the Raiders.
Will Brady Be in the Broadcast Booth in 2023?
Brady also has a job lined up in 2024 through Fox Sports. Announced on Feb. 6, Brady will put on a new headset and join the broadcast booth for the national outlet. Even with the near complete move to minority owner, Brady still told SI that he plans to be involved with the network.
“I’m looking forward to my broadcasting career next year,” Brady said. He also adds “I’m looking forward to the opportunity ahead with the Raiders. And we’re in the process of that along with the other different things I’m a part of professionally and in my personal life.”
He concluded with: “Just spending as much time with my kids as I can and seeing them grow up and support different things that they have going on and that’s a very important job and I take them all pretty seriously. “
