Josh McDaniels reportedly plans to work hard to make a Tom Brady reunion a reality.
McDaniels’ Las Vegas Raiders intend to “aggressively pursue” the 45-year-old quarterback when his Tampa Bay Buccaneers contract expires in March, according to a report Sunday from CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
“Brady is going to be a free agent, and folks around the league don’t see him staying in Tampa,” Jones said on CBS’ “The NFL Today” pregame show. “The Raiders are going to trade or release (current QB) Derek Carr by mid-February, and the Raiders think Brady is a ‘program-changer’ just like he was in Tampa when he arrived.”
Brady and McDaniels worked together for 16 seasons in New England, and both are coming off underwhelming 2022 campaigns for their respective teams.
The Raiders regressed and missed the playoffs in McDaniels’ first season as head coach, and Brady’s Bucs finished below .500, though that was enough to win the putrid NFC South and earn a home playoff game. Tampa Bay will host the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night in the wild-card round.
If Brady does plan to return for a 24th NFL season and opts to leave Tampa, the Raiders would be among the most likely landing spots for the future Hall of Famer. Other teams that could vie for Brady’s services include his hometown San Francisco 49ers and the Tennessee Titans, who are coached by friend and former Patriots teammate Mike Vrabel.
Las Vegas benched longtime starter Carr late in the season, and the veteran QB already has penned a goodbye letter to Raiders fans, making it only a matter of time before he is employed elsewhere. Even at his advanced age, Brady would be an ideal replacement as McDaniels looks to right the ship in Year 2.
