A Las Vegas Raiders star has fuelled rumours of a Tom Brady return by admitting that he "would not be surprised" to see the seven-time Super Bowl winner coming out of retirement for a second time.
Brady, 45, called it quits on his NFL career earlier this year after a two-year stint at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leaving behind a legendary legacy, which has seen him be regarded as the greatest of all time.
A lot has happened in Brady's life in the past year, including a divorce from Gisele Bundchen, inking a ten-year Fox Sports NFL analyst deal, and he's set to become a minority stakeholder in the Raiders. Despite having a lot of new commitments, rumours of Brady unretiring for a second time have refused to go away.
News of new Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo carrying a foot injury prompted theories that Brady could turn out for the team after his investment. In reality, NFL rules requiring approval from all owners mean it will almost certainly not happen, and the ex-New England Patriots star himself has shut the idea down.
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, however, believes it's possible that NFL fans will see Brady throw again, and potentially in 2023. He opted to fuel the theories by claiming Brady could show up in a Raiders jersey after all.
"At the absolute worst, if everything doesn’t go the way it’s supposed to and we need him, I would not be surprised if Tom Brady shows up in a Raiders jersey," Crosby said on the new Raiders minority stakeholder on The Voncast.
And by "need him", Crosby means if Garoppolo proves to be unreliable. Garoppolo joined the Raiders in March on a three-year, $67.5 million deal. However, Garoppolo reportedly failed his initial physical and lost an $11.25m signing bonus as a result.
The clause in Garoppolo's deal was inserted by the Raiders due to the foot injury that ended his 2022 season prematurely. The franchise can cut the quarterback at any time at no cost if he continues to fail the physical milestones set.
Brady does appear to be more keen to focus on his family and business ventures. Speaking on why he invested in the Raiders, Brady said: "I grew up in the Bay Area. My favorite team was the 49ers. The team across the bay was the Raiders. And, you know, they're an iconic NFL franchise.
"When I look at a lot of the people that have impacted the NFL over a long period of time in the most positive way, Al Davis is one of them.
"And he's not with us anymore but I've heard incredible stories. And then the opportunity came about to become a minority owner in the Raiders, it was a dream come true for me."
