In 2023, Tom Brady retired for good. Earlier this month, he tried to wipe away the last two words.
He said he wouldn’t be opposed to playing for a contender that loses its starter during the season. He specifically mentioned the Raiders and Patriots (most don’t expect them to be contenders this year, but anything is possible).
The logical interpretation of Brady’s casual but abrupt pivot was that he wanted teams whose depth charts aren’t yet set in stone to know he’s potentially available, if they choose to call sooner than later.
Now that six quarterbacks were taken in round one (and none in rounds two or three), there aren’t many potential seats left for 2024. Of the teams that were believed to be looking for quarterbacks in round one, the Giants and Raiders didn’t get one. The Patriots would possibly welcome Brady back for a year, while Drake Maye watches and learns. If Matthew Stafford would retire (unlikely), the Rams could be interested, in theory (especially since the alternative is Jimmy Garoppolo).
Brady never said he wants to play from Week 1. But if he’s thinking about coming back during the season, why wouldn’t he be thinking about coming back for the start of the season?
Brady, in my view, floated a trial balloon. He dropped a baited hook in the lake. Whatever the metaphor, Brady didn’t blurt out an interest in playing this year without the expectation that it might provoke a more immediate reaction.
It hasn’t yet, as far as anyone knows. Once teams revisit their rosters and depth charts after the draft, will that change?
However it goes, Brady is clearly in a different mindset than he was a year ago. Whether that mindset means he’d come back sooner than later might be only a phone call away.