The New York Jets may have escaped Tom Brady once already, but they might not be in the clear for good.
That’s the uncomfortable possibility raised by Lars Anderson, whose Brady biography was officially released on Tuesday. In an interview with Front Office Sports, Anderson said the 49-year-old quarterback may still look back on the end of his career and wonder what might have been different.
“I think he wishes he got number eight,” Anderson said. “I think he wishes circumstances could have been different and he could have kept playing.”
Brady has not publicly responded to Anderson’s remarks.
The idea of Brady actually suiting up again feels wildly remote, especially with his 50th birthday coming next August. The notion of him walking back into Patriots camp in a red jersey and helmet sounds about as likely as Philip Rivers’ return to the Indianapolis Colts last year - an outlier Anderson and others would expect to stay that way.
Still, Anderson didn’t completely shut the door on another comeback.
“But I do think that if Tom had his druthers, he would be playing right now,” Anderson argued, “and I would not be shocked if he somehow tries to play next year.”
For the sake of argument, though, even a 2027 return would put Brady back in the mix for the Jets. New York’s schedule won’t include every team, but enough is already set to know that the path exists.
The Jets will play the AFC East twice, along with the NFC East and AFC South. They’re also slated to draw teams from the AFC North, AFC West and NFC South once those matchups are determined.
That still leaves plenty of room for Brady’s name to come into play. Barring disaster, the Bills, Cowboys and Jaguars can be crossed off.
The Eagles and Texans are more uncertain, with Jalen Hurts’ and C.J. Stroud’s long-term futures described as borderline because Stroud is a free agent after the 2027 season.
Outside of those exceptions, most teams remain in the conversation - and that includes the Patriots.
Even so, Brady coming back would take a chain of events that looks almost impossible. He would have to give up his ownership stake in the Raiders, which the source suggests would be foolish given how involved he has become. And beyond that, there’s the physical toll waiting for him if he ever tried to climb back onto an NFL field.
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