A reunion between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick at the New England Patriots continues to dominate the rumour mill, and a sensational return has been tipped as "not inconceivable."
Brady left the Patriots in 2020 after a stunning 20 years under Belichick, where he won six Super Bowl rings. Brady then decided it was time for a new challenge as he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and after joining he went on to win his seventh Super Bowl.
The iconic quarterback retired at the end of the 2021 season, but then reversed his decision as he pledged to give it another go with the Buccaneers. It's always been rumoured that Brady would one day return to New England, and football reporter Mike Tannenbaum thinks it would be a "marriage of convenience" for player and organisation.
Brady's deal with the Buccaneers ends at the end of the season, and many tipped him to retire after initially calling time earlier this year. He changed his mind back then to seemingly give it one more shot.
Now, Brady shows no sign of calling time and is still clearly enjoying his football at the age of 45. He will be left with a decision to make at the end of the season, but if he does leave the Buccaneers, Tannenbaum has given him two options, although it's clear which one he prefers.
"I'll give you two options, New England Patriots and go back home, or San Francisco 49ers," Tannenbaum said on ESPN's Get Up. "All they've (Patriots) got to do is invest in another first-rounder in their offensive line. That offensive line is not bad.
"They have better skilled players than people realise, it would be a marriage of convenience. The point is, if you put Tom Brady in that offense they have two tight-ends which we know that he loves, in Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith.
"A young receiver in Tyquan Thornton who can really stretch the defence, I just think that for a year or two, going back there is really not inconceivable." NFL expert Bill Simmons has already told Brady that a return to the Patriots is "how it has to end," and there may actually be some momentum regarding a move.
Brady and Belichick still share a lot of respect for one another, and Patriots owner Robert Kraft is still very friendly with the quarterback. And Simmons agreed with x, as he said on his podcast: "He needs an offensive line, the Pats have an offensive line.
"He needs a tight end, the Pats have a tight end. He needs a running back who can catch the ball out of the backfield? How about Romandre Stevenson.
"How about a bunch of receivers who can do some stuff? How about a young team that’s probably a year away from being decent. He comes back home, puts a bow on it, he’s a Patriot for life."
The Patriots are far from being in crisis, but it's not been the second year that Mac Jones was hoping for, and they could potentially bring Brady back in. Although Jones is under contract until 2024 with an option of another year, it may not be a bad idea bringing Brady in as a perfect role model for another year.
