Tom Brady may have announced his retirement from the NFL, but not everyone is buying it.
Not only did Brady’s announcement seem rushed and a little underwhelming for a player who most consider to be the greatest of all time, but there has been rumblings throughout the league that suggest a comeback is in the cards — which would help explain why we’ve yet to see some big, extravagant retirement ceremony for the GOAT.
If Brady does come back, it would obviously have to be with the right team. There are only so many franchises that make sense for the seven-time Super Bowl champ. Here’s a look at four of them:
San Francisco 49ers
We’ll start with the most obvious option; Brady’s childhood team, the San Francisco 49ers. Growing up in San Mateo, California, Brady rooted for the Niners as a child. And every time he’s become “available,” the 49ers are always one of the first possible destinations on the list.
They didn’t get Brady in the 2020 offseason, instead deciding to roll with Brady’s former New England backup, Jimmy Garoppolo. But this time we could finally see the GOAT suit up for his childhood team. Even NBC’s Mike Florio envisioned a scenario where Brady sends “a late-night text to the high school sweetheart, a.k.a the 49ers.”
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Most detractors of the Brady-to-San Fran rumors will quickly point to the 2021 third overall draft pick, which the Niners used on young phenom quarterback Trey Lance. But Lance is still quite raw, and Brady wouldn’t be around for long. There’s always the possibility that Tommy comes back for one final hurrah with his childhood team, in an effort to win ring number eight.
And the Niners certainly have the pieces in place to help him get it. You’ve got to think that San Fran’s ground game, coupled with receiving threats like Deebo Samuel and George Kittle would be enough to entice the GOAT to give it one last run at a title in the Bay Area.
Tennessee Titans
If Tom Brady’s main concern when picking a new team is the right head coach, the Titans could be at the top of his list. That’s because Tennessee is currently being led by Brady’s old pal and former teammate, Mike Vrabel.
We’ve all seen the interactions between the two during their offseason joint practices. If there’s any coach in the NFL that understands Tom Brady, it’s Mike Vrabel.
Moving beyond the coaching staff, there’s other reasons for Brady to be intrigued by the Titans. Not only do they have the league’s best running back in Derrick Henry, but they also have two solid receiving options in AJ Brown and Julio Jones (assuming the latter doesn’t get cut before the season starts).
Tennessee already has Ryan Tannehill, whose been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league since joining the Titans. But he’s also failed to get the team over the hump, and he imploded big time in the postseason last season with three costly interceptions in the Divisional Round against the Bengals. That performance had many believing the Titans could look to upgrade the quarterback position in an effort to finally get over that hump. And perhaps no quarterback in NFL history may be better at taking teams over the hump than Tom Brady.
Las Vegas Raiders
Vegas baby! If Tom Brady is looking to move out west, he’ll have a few options. The Niners, who we already went over, are one of them. And Vegas is another. Vegas has some nice weapons with the likes of Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow and Josh Jacobs. But they’ll probably need another star wideout if they want to make their way to the top of Brady’s list of comeback destinations.
It’s already assumed that they’ll be in the market for a top-end wideout once free agency opens, as the franchise has been deprived of one for a while now. And they have the cap space to go out and make a move, with nearly $15-million in effective cap space, according to Over The Cap.
How about if Vegas goes out and grabs Brady’s former teammate on the Bucs, free agent wideout Chris Godwin? Would that be enough to entice Tom, along with the bright lights of Sin City?
Brady’s always been known as a guy who plays with a chip on his shoulder and a fire in his belly, which is exactly the type of attitude that seems to reflect the persona of the Raiders’ fanbase and their owner, Al Davis.
Bringing in Brady would also mean that Vegas would have to find a new home for their current quarterback, Derek Carr. With many quarterback needy teams around the league, they shouldn’t have difficulty finding a suitor. And they may even be able to get another piece to increase Brady’s interest in possibly joining the Silver and Black.
Miami Dolphins
After spending a couple of seasons in Tampa, Brady may be tempted to remain in Florida’s warm climate for his comeback party. And if that’s the case, the Miami Dolphins could be in luck, as they’re the only remaining option for the GOAT within the Sunshine State.
Rumors of Brady’s fractured relationship with Bruce Arians make a return to the Bucs unlikely.
And he’s definitely not joining the dysfunctional Jaguars — who, by the way, already have a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence.
But with the Dolphins, Brady could get everything he’s looking for in a new team. For starters, Miami has the most effective cap space of any NFL team, with over $55-million available to spend. And trust me, there’s a lot you can do with that much money to work with.
The Fins aren’t exactly lacking in weapons as it stands at the moment. Last year’s sixth-overall pick, Jaylen Waddle, looked like a star in the making in 2021, breaking the rookie record for receptions in a season with 104. And Myles Gaskin has developed into quite the receiving option out of the backfield. He would be the perfect fit for any offense that’s being run by Tom Brady.
But the icing on the cake for Miami would undoubtedly be their ability to offer Brady an opportunity to play close to home, as him and Gisele are reportedly building a mansion in South Beach. Brady was also rumored to be a potential option for minority ownership in the Dolphins organization.
I guess if you’re going to fork over millions of dollars to purchase part of a team, you may as well test the waters and play for them first!
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