Tom Brady hasn’t confirmed if he’s returning to football or riding off into the sunset and calling it a career. But if he does return, there’s a possibility of him leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and playing for another team in 2023.
Could it be with the New England Patriots?
Let’s be honest, the Mac Jones era had more than a few bumps in the road this season. There was even a bombshell report from NFL insider Chris Simms regarding Jones going behind coach Bill Belichick’s back to seek outside help with the offense.
Sure, Belichick and Brady had their own issues down the stretch, but this rumored dust-up with Jones trumps all of that, especially when the two have only worked a couple of seasons together.
Oddsmakers clearly have the Patriots in the mix with the Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders to land Brady. As of right now, the Patriots are tied at +750 odds with the rival Dolphins, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
Tom Brady has been added to the "Player Next Team" market on @DKSportsbook.
You can also find odds on Derek Carr and DeAndre Hopkins: pic.twitter.com/pR2LTRDpyj
— Julian Edlow (@julianedlow) January 17, 2023
It would be a real feel-good moment to see Brady return and finish off his career where he started, but then again, Belichick would have to swallow a lot of pride to bring him back into the mix.
The going narrative following the Patriots missing the playoffs for the second time in three seasons is that Belichick can’t win without Brady. So he wouldn’t be doing himself any favors with that assumption if he re-signed the same quarterback that helped him win six Super Bowls.
There’s also the fact that the Patriots would forfeit their future by giving up on Jones for one last run with Brady. As much of a storybook ending that would be, it might not be worth it in the end.
