Bucs Gameday

Tom Brady Linked to New York Jets Following Aaron Rodgers' Season-Ending Injury

Despite thriving in retirement, Tom Brady continues to see his name circulate whenever an NFL team is in need of a new starting quarterback.

Collin Haalboom

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We're not over the hill quite yet. 

The hypothetical hill to which I'm referring is the ongoing media narrative linking Tom Brady to any NFL team that is in need of a quarterback.

The 49ers, Dolphins, and Raiders have all been suggested as potential landing spots for Brady since he retired (for a second time) from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2022 NFL season.

It's a perfect storm, really. Brady's iconic status, his competitive nature, and the fact that he's already come out of retirement once. These unique factors, combined with his impressive performance over his last three seasons as a Buccaneer, make it somewhat predictable to see his name floated around as a potential solution for teams that need help at the quarterback position.

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Ultimately, it's because everyone knows Tom Brady is not over the hill quite yet, either. 

After Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending achilles injury just four plays into his tenure as the New York Jets starting quarterback, it didn't take long for Brady to be suggested as a potential replacement.

Even though ESPN's Jeff Darlington made the suggestion that the Jets should consider reaching out to Brady, that idea was quickly shot down by the Pat McAfee Show. "Before this injury happened [Brady] was very inclined to stay in retirement and I don't have any idea to believe otherwise." 

Shortly thereafter, The Athletic's Diana Russini shut the door completely.

It appears — even if the national media isn't completely over the hill in terms of throwing Tom Brady's name into the ring any time a new starting quarterback position opens up — that people are at least willing to shut these rumors down before they go too far.

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I can only hope that one day soon we will reach a point where Tom Brady is no longer linked to NFL teams as a potential solution for their quarterback woes. 

But we're not over that hill quite yet. 

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Collin Haalboom
COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.