Tom Brady’s name keeps finding its way back into NFL comeback talk, and this time the chatter comes with a real catch.
According to reports, Brady has at least considered a return to the league. That alone is enough to turn heads, especially with the way quarterback play has looked around the NFL and after Philip Rivers was on the field a year ago. If an injury opened the door, the idea of Brady stepping through it no longer sounds completely out of bounds.
But there’s a major hurdle sitting right in the middle of it: Brady’s stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Brady turns 50 in August, and in order to return to the NFL, he would need to divest from his stake in the Raiders, a franchise that appears to be on the rise after a 3-0 start to this season.
“In an interview with CNBC this past March, Brady-who is now in his third season as Fox’s lead NFL game analyst-revealed that he has ‘inquired' about a potential NFL comeback, but that he’s ‘very happily retired.’” Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports wrote.
That’s the sticking point. Brady would have to walk away from ownership just to get back on the field, and it’s hard to see why he’d do that unless the pull of playing football still outweighs everything else.
He doesn’t need the money. Between his role as Fox’s lead NFL game analyst and his Raiders stake, Brady is already sitting in a pretty good spot financially. But Brady has never exactly been built like someone who can fully let go of football.
He’s the kind of guy who didn’t want to leave the field in the first place, and the fact that he’s even thinking about a comeback at this stage says plenty on its own.
In Other News...
Raiders Head Into Chiefs Test With One Big Availability Problem
The week leading into a trip to Kansas City has already turned into a test of depth for the Raiders, with Klint Kubiak spending time on the injury concerns shaping the game plan. Las Vegas is dealing with a long list of players who are either sidelined or limited, including Brock Bowers, Darien Porter, Treydan Stukes, Ashton Jeanty, Jack Bech and Jackson Powers-Johnson, leaving the roster less than full heading into a divisional matchup that rarely leaves much room for error.
The timing is especially tough because the Chiefs appear to be in far better shape, with only Josh Simmons potentially unavailable and L'Jarius Sneed limited in practice. For the Raiders, that creates an early challenge before a snap is even taken, since keeping pace in a hostile setting usually requires more stability than they have had this week. However the final availability report looks, the contrast alone underscores how much Las Vegas may have to manage just to stay competitive. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Need More From Their New Receiver Than Hidden Contributions
Jalen Nailor has spent the first three games of his Raiders tenure doing more than the box score shows. The three-year signing has produced only five catches for 52 yards on 11 targets, but his role has still included the kind of work coaches notice even when fans do not, from blocking to helping create space for teammates.
For Las Vegas, the question is how much of that hidden value can be paired with a bigger share of the passing game as the season unfolds. Nailors usage will likely depend on game planning and how he performs when the opportunities come, and the Raiders need more than small contributions if they want his addition to matter the way they hoped when they brought him in. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Receiver Shuffle Puts Unexpected Spotlight On Cody White
The Raiders receiver room took another hit this week when Jack Bech was placed on injured reserve with a broken forearm, forcing Las Vegas to patch the depth chart on the fly. To fill the roster spot, the team promoted Cody White to the active roster, waived Justin Shorter and added Phillip Dorsett II to the practice squad, a set of moves that speaks to how quickly the group is being reshuffled.
White arrives with a small but intriguing sample that has already made him worth watching, especially near the goal line. He has caught all three of his passes for touchdowns this season, turning an emergency roster move into a potentially useful red-zone wrinkle as the Raiders try to keep their passing game afloat while Bech recovers. [Read more 🡒]