Even as he now moves toward starting his broadcasting career for FOX, the idea Tom Brady would return to play if an opportunity probably won't go away until age starts with a '5.' On an episode of the Deep Cut podcast that was released last week, the G.O.A.T. was asked if he would pick up the phone if a team called him after losing its quarterback to injury. (h/t to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com).
"I'm not opposed to it," Brady said. "I don't know if they are going to let me if I become an owner of an NFL team. I'm always going to be in good shape. I'll always be able to throw the ball. So, to come in for a little bit, like MJ coming back, I don't know if they would let me. But I wouldn't be opposed to it."
Brady mentioned his agreement with Raiders' owner Mark Davis, which is still pending NFL approval, to join that organization's ownership group. There's also the specter of starting his work with FOX this fall. But it's fair to say, if he could and an opportunity presented itself, Brady would think about playing again. It's also not surprising.
Should the Detroit Lions call Tom Brady if something happened to Jared Goff?
On "The Herd" late last week, after Brady made that news about entertaining playing again, Colin Cowherd pointed prominently to the Minnesota Vikings as an especially good fit for Brady.
"Let's say the Minnesota Vikings call... Who's more gifted in the NFL offensively?"
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) April 12, 2024
— @ColinCowherd on Tom Brady saying he's not opposed to late-season return pic.twitter.com/ewnmumzlex
Cowherd then added the Lions to the conversation.
"What if Jared Goff went down? The Lions are not drafting...the Lions are not drafting a quarterback, I suppose, early. Jared Goff goes down. With that offensive line, those weapons. You don't think Ben Johnson would say, 'you know, we thought about callin' Brady'."
Of course there are now betting odds out there about Brady's next team should he unretire, via Covers.com (h/t to Pro Football Talk). The Lions don't have specific odds, they are just lumped in with 25 "other teams" at +500.
A significant injury to Goff during next season would obviously derail any championship hopes for the Lions immediately. It's a far-fetched scenario, and far-fetched isn't a strong enough phrase. But there's a non-zero chance the Lions would think about calling Brady if something did happen to Goff, and they are a team he would presumably be willing to join.