The Goofy Tom Brady Rumors Are Back
Josh Frey
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It’s happened once. Could it happen again?
Tom Brady is widely considered the greatest quarterback of all time with his seven Super Bowl rings as the greatest evidence towards that idea. The passer has not suited up in an NFL game since the conclusion of the 2022 season after announcing his retirement following a 9-8 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
However, after a relatively quiet 12 months, Brady is once again back in news headlines after hinting at the idea that he wouldn’t be opposed to making an NFL return this season.
Tom Brady Rumors Are Back
Brady was asked on The Deep Cuts podcast last week if he’d return to the NFL in the event of a quarterback injury, and his reply surprised many. “I’m not opposed to it. I don’t know if they are going to let me if I become an owner of an NFL team. I’m always going to be in good shape. I’ll always be able to throw the ball. So, to come in for a little bit, like MJ [Michael Jordan] coming back, I don’t know if they would let me. But I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” Brady replied.
Now, it wouldn’t be the first time that Brady went back on a retirement. In a Brett Favre-like turn of events, Brady said that he was going to call it quits following the 2021 season only to go back on his decision less than two months later. During the fall of 2022, he was back in a Buccaneers uniform and proceeded to lead the NFL in completions and pass attempts at the age of 45.
After that season, Brady declared that he would retire for good.
Following Brady’s comments over the weekend, Colin Cowherd of FOX Sports floated out his own theory: that the greatest of all time could be headed to Minnesota at some point this season. Cowherd said, “Let’s say the Minnesota Vikings call. Sam Darnold — slight injury — and whoever the draft at quarterback is not ready to play in that division with the Packers’ offense, the Bears with Caleb Williams, and the Vikings like their team. They’re off to a 3-1 start. Look at what they would have.”
Cowherd went on to mention how Minnesota arguably would be the best landing spot for Brady because of their offensive weapons along with head coach Kevin O’Connell, a former teammate of Brady’s with the New England Patriots.
It isn’t the first time that the Vikings have been connected to Brady over the past year, either. After Kirk Cousins went down with his Achilles injury last season, there were reports that the Vikings called Brady about his services. For instance, former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak suggested that Minnesota tried getting in contact with the seven-time champion.
Zolak said on The Zolak and Bertrand Show, “The Vikings reached out.” However, he later went on to explain that Brady is “done” and won’t be making a return to the NFL field.
Obviously, a 47-year-old Tom Brady shouldn’t be very high on Minnesota’s list of priorities at the quarterback position. They already have an intriguing young option in Sam Darnold and could be just nine days away from selecting their QB of the future in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Still, it’s a fun theory being floated out right before the draft begins.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.