Bruce Arians last week said if Tom Brady wants to return to the NFL and not play for the Buccaneers, the organization won’t assist him with a trade out of Tampa Bay.
Mike Florio, however, has a hard time believing Brady’s contractual situation will prevent the future Hall of Fame quarterback from pursuing any football desires he might have.
In both a column and radio appearance this past Friday, Florio stood by his belief that Brady is finished with the Bucs and not the NFL as a whole. More specifically, the Pro Football Talk pundit believes Brady ending up with the San Francisco 49ers is a real possibility.
“Any clumsy effort to huff and puff about Brady being the exclusive property of the Buccaneers and that the team wouldn’t allow him to pick his next destination will serve only to blow down the house of whoever tries to do it,” Florio wrote for PFT.
“So far, only Arians (true to form) has assumed the tough-guy posture on Brady’s contract. But Arians won’t be making the decision on this one. If/when Brady decides he wants to play again, he’ll make the first call not to Arians but to G.M. Jason Licht. If necessary, Brady will go to ownership and make the simple and persuasive case for his freedom.”
During a spot on 95.7 The Game, Florio added, “People say, ‘What else does Brady have to accomplish?’ Well, he’s never played for the team he grew up rooting for. That’s got a strong psychological and emotional hold on anyone.”
While it’s fun to think about Brady coming out of retirement and playing for a new team, we probably shouldn’t bank on it. ESPN NFL insider Jeff Darlington, who initially broke the news about the QB’s retirement, is reporting a TB12 comeback is “very unlikely.”
