With Derek Carr almost certainly set to leave Las Vegas this offseason, many around the NFL are penciling in Tom Brady as the next Raiders quarterback.
That would be a very relevant development for New England Patriots fans, and not just because the move would reunite Brady with Josh McDaniels.
In case you missed it, McDaniels on Wednesday revealed that Carr will sit the rest of the season — and leave the team — with former Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham starting the final two games for Vegas. The announcement immediately spawned speculation of a potential union between the Raiders and Brady, who will be a 46-year-old free agent this offseason and reportedly showed interest in Vegas a few years ago.
Of course, such theories assume that Brady won’t retire after this season — which is a big assumption.
However, if Brady decides to continue playing and eventually signs with the Raiders, many Patriots fans will be making travel plans for 2023. While the date won’t be announced until sometime this spring, New England is scheduled to visit Las Vegas sometime next season, unless the game winds up being a neutral-site international game.
Either way, the Patriots and Raiders will play each other again in 2023. Thus, it’s impossible not to think about a sequel to the first Brady vs. Bill Belichick matchup, which occurred last season when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned a 19-17 victory at Gillette Stadium.
Obviously, such a scenario would require Brady to land in Vegas and Belichick to remain in New England — no sure thing, according to some NFL insiders — but Carr’s benching could be the first step toward a dream showdown in Sin City.
It’s worth noting that a Brady-Patriots clash could happen without the future Hall of Famer joining the Raiders.
New England is scheduled to host an NFC South opponent next season. That opponent will be whichever team finishes in the same spot in the NFC South standings as the Patriots finish in the AFC East.
So, if the 7-8 Bucs finish third in their division and the 7-8 Patriots finish third in theirs, Tampa will visit New England in 2023. Brady staying with the Bucs feels like an unlikely offseason outcome at this point, but it can’t be ruled out entirely.
The Patriots currently rank third in the AFC East while the Bucs are first in the NFC South, but it still is mathematically possible for Tampa to finish third in its division. New England only can finish between second and fourth.
When Brady left Foxboro victorious last season, many assumed he never would face the Patriots again unless New England and Tampa met in a Super Bowl. Now, Brady vs. Belichick 2.0 suddenly feels very plausible.
