Prior to his retirement, Tom Brady was set to become an unrestricted free agent for just the second time in his 23-year NFL career. His pending free agency had several teams and fanbases hoping to land the quarterback widely considered to be the greatest of all time.
While Brady has now announced his intent to comfortably enjoy retirement, the decision apparently didn’t come without a great amount of thought. With his contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers set to expire, Brady reportedly considered joining other teams.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Brady reportedly “went over his options” before publicly announcing his retirement. These options were said to include teams such as the Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers, in no particular order.
As to the team he spent the first 20 years of his career with, Brady said, “No, that ain’t happening” when asked about rejoining Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
In other words, for those teams still privately hoping Brady will eventually change his mind, it sounds as if the 45-year-old QB is content with his original decision, having already considered what life may be like playing for a different team.
While the Dolphins may be set to move forward with Tua Tagovailoa as their franchise quarterback, the other two teams mentioned are still trying to identify their long-term solution.
Brady back in the Bay Area, playing for his favorite team, would be a magical moment that could rightly put a cap on his already Hall of Fame career, but there’s no guarantee the interest is mutual. With both Trey Lance and Brock Purdy under contract for the next few seasons, coach Kyle Shanahan may stick by his notion that the team already has “two starting QB” options on the roster.
While much of the football community may still be holding out hope that Brady will eventually change his mind, it sounds as if TB12 has already considered his alternatives for the 2023 season. If we don’t see him on the field, expect to hear him on FOX Sports in his new position as a broadcaster, which will just be downright weird to hear.
Meanwhile, for those curious about how the legendary QB’s retirement has impacted the value of his rookie cards, here are the eight-most valuable Tom Brady rookie cards in existence.