Tom Brady’s retirement for the second time around shocked some teams around the league that thought they could have made a swing at the star quarterback. Rich Eisen thinks these teams might have made a call.
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Tom Brady retired for the second time in as many years today. Surprisingly, this comes exactly 365 days after his decision to retire for the first time. However, there probably is no comeback story waiting to be written.
Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a disappointing season where the team underperformed from the beginning. Littered with questions throughout the season, optimists hoped Brady would figure out the offensive woes come playoffs.
However, the playoffs came and went for the Buccaneers without a solution in sight. The offense was pathetic, with no run game and a lethargic passing attack. The defense took a step back from their Super Bowl year and was exposed in intervals. They lost 31-14 to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round.
Which teams might have tried to make a run for Brady?
1. Tennessee Titans
The Titans are in the waning years of contention with an aging Derrick Henry and a team of players who seem to slowly be leaving every off season. This past offseason, their offensive line got weaker and their defense was hanging together by a thread. Bringing Brady in would give this squad a chance to contend after upgrading from a disappointing Malik Willis.
2. Miami Dolphins
Rich Eisen made an interesting point for the Dolphins to sign Brady: Tua is injury prone and will more likely than not miss time again, if not retire, due to concussions. Bringing in Brady would ensure their playoff hopes are not short lived and the plus side for Brady is he gets a shortened season sitting behind Tua.
3. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have been openly interested in Brady and this is the situation that makes the most sense. With the head coach Josh McDaniels being the long time offensive coordinator for Tom Brady, there already exists a relationship. The system is familiar and the Raiders are loaded with playmakers on both sides of the ball. But he would have to matchup with Patrick Mahomes twice a year.
4. San Francisco 49ers
The Kyle Shanahan curse of going through QBs is being noticed by the rest of the league and Brady’s longevity might be able to break the curse. Starting or backing up Trey Lance/Brock Purdy would be a role where Brady is contending for another ring while not having to play too much. Should he have to play, Shanahan will be able to devise a game plan suitable for his strengths. Oh, and he’s back home.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are sitting at a dead end without Tom Brady. With no quarterback in sights, the team is heading towards a rebuild without Brady. Maybe they could have convinced Brady to make another run?
