The AFC West soon might have a Tom Brady problem on its hands.
A ton of Tom Brady news broke Sunday morning. Most notably, the New England Patriots reportedly are willing to pay over $30 million to retain the legendary quarterback, while the Los Angeles Chargers are willing to make a push to sign the 42-year-old, should he become a free agent.
Those reports, along with a few others, all came from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. Moments later, ESPN’s Adam Schefter chimed in with news of his own.
Here’s what he said during Sunday’s “NFL Primetime” episode:
Adam Schefter on ESPN: "I believe the Raiders are poised to pursue Tom Brady if and when he becomes a free agent. Whether they can get him to come to Las Vegas is another issue. There will be a lot of discussions that take place before then. Robert Kraft will make a push."
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) February 2, 2020
Schefter provided additional context in a column for ESPN.com.
Here’s an excerpt:
“New England is expected to want to have a decision made well before the free-agent signing period begins March 18. But Brady also has said he is “open-minded” about the free-agent process, and multiple teams are expected to explore the possibility of signing him, according to sources.
“One of the teams expected to be leading the way if Brady gets to free agency is the Raiders, whose coach, Jon Gruden, is a long-time admirer of the three-time MVP and six-time Super Bowl champion. The two have a good relationship, and league sources believe that Gruden, who is known to be a highly effective recruiter, wants Brady on the Raiders.”
Rumors about the Raiders’ potential interest in Brady have swirled ever since he attended UFC 246 in Las Vegas. Sitting just outside the octagon, Brady was seen chatting with Raiders owner Mark Davis. After the event, UFC president Dana White, a New England native and diehard Patriots fan, said he believed the rumors had “legs.”
Unsurprisingly, none of this appeared to sit well with Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
Reminder: Brady is scheduled to become a free agent March 18. Buckle up.
