Tom Brady's NFL Return Speculation Emerges Following Jimmy Garoppolo Injury
Jimmy Garoppolo joined the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason to be the team's starting quarterback. However, the former New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers quarterback underwent foot surgery shortly after signing his contract and will likely miss training camp. This has led to some speculation that Tom Brady, who has agreed to be a minority owner of the Raiders, making a return to the NFL after announcing his retirement in February. The Last Vegas Review-Journal took a look at Brady's chances of playing for the Raiders. And while it could happen, there are a few challenges that make it unlikely.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal mentions that Brady's agreement to purchase a piece of the Raiders has been submitted for approval. It's possible that fellow owners could come up with a provision that Brady is fully retired, meaning it would eliminate him from trying to own the Raiders while also playing for them. But even if there are no provisions, if Brady wants to play again and is an owner, the other owners in the league would have to approve the move. If it's not approved, Brady would have to sell back his share of the Raiders before stepping back on the field.
When Brady retired for the first time in Feb. 2022, it only lasted for a little over a month before announcing he was going to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for another season. This time, Brady has been retired for nearly four months and shows no hints of returning.
"I'm retiring. For good," Brady said in a video posted on Feb.1. "I know the process was a pretty big deal last time so when I woke up this morning I just figured I'd press record and let you guys know first. So I won't be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used mine up last year. Thank you, guys, so much, to every single one of you for supporting me."
Garoppolo was a member of the New England Patriots from 2014-2017 and was Brady's backup. He was a member of two Super Bowl champion teams before he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers during the 2017 season. During his time with the 49ers, Garoppolo led the team to two NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl appearance in 2020 (2019 season).