If the Detroit Lions didn’t have Matthew Stafford, would Tom Brady have considered signing in Motown?
Going into the 2020 offseason, the Detroit Lions had many needs on the field they needed to fill. Cornerback was one of them which they addressed by signing Desmond Trufant in free agency. Linebackers and safeties were also a need in which they signed Jamie Collins and Reggie Ragland while trading for Duron Harmon.
Detroit also added help on both lines by signing defensive tackle Danny Shelton to rush the quarterback and offensive tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai to protect their own signal-caller.
While the Lions haven’t needed a quarterback in years, let’s be hypothetical and say they were in need of one. Would quarterback Tom Brady have considered Detroit as his post-New England Patriots destination?
If the Lions were in need of a quarterback, they would be in a great position to lure Brady to Motor City. First off, they had a ton of cap space and would have had the financial flexibility to give him a lot of money. Brady is set to earn $25 million with the Tampa Bay but if the Lions needed a quarterback, they could have upped the Buccaneers offer.
Brady would also have great connections in Detroit as general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia are former members of the Patriots organization. Not only would he have connections with the personnel, but he would also have connections with some of the players on the field as well. Ever since Patricia was hired as head coach, the Lions have been known to bring in former Patriots players.
Most of the players they’ve brought in from the Patriots are defensive players like Trey Flowers, Shelton, Harmon, Collins Sr, and others. But there’s one player, in particular, that may really entice Brady to play in Detroit.
That player is wide receiver, Danny Amendola. Amendola and Brady played together for five seasons and grew quite close with each other as most quarterbacks and wide receivers do. There were even rumors that wherever Brady signed, Amendola would follow but he ultimately re-signed with the Lions.
One of the reasons why Brady left New England and went to Tampa Bay was because of the lack of passing options the Patriots have. The only reliable weapon the Patriots possess is wide receiver Julian Edelman whereas the Buccaneers have Pro Bowl wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin that Brady can throw to.
The Lions have reliable offensive weapons as they have a Pro Bowl wideout in Kenny Golladay, wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr, Brady’s former teammate Amendola and a young emerging tight end in T.J. Hockenson. That’s also not mentioning rookie running back D’Andre Swift and another running back in Kerryon Johnson that he can throw too.
As the Buccaneers haven’t won the Super Bowl or a playoff game since the 2002-03 season, Brady is heading into Tampa taking on a challenge to take the team back to the playoffs and hope to end up in Disneyland once they win it all. Perhaps, he would be more enticed to take on a bigger challenge with the Lions who have yet to win a Super Bowl and haven’t won a playoff game since the 1991 season.
If the Detroit Lions needed a quarterback, I believe Tom Brady probably would have seriously considered signing in the Motor City … and may have even done so. While it would be a dream to see the G.O.A.T. in the blue, grey, and white, Lions’ fans should be thankful that they already have a top-tier quarterback in Matthew Stafford.