Patriots Should Bring Tom Brady Back, Former NFL Exec Says: 'Go Back Home!'

The idea of a reunion between Tom Brady and the New England Patriots simply won't fade away.

The New England Patriots have fully embraced throwback aesthetics during the 2022 NFL season. One former NFL executive thinks they're capable of taking things even further.

Mike Tannenbaum, a general manager-turned-ESPN analyst, lent further credence to the idea that the Patriots could use the upcoming offseason to pursue a reunion with franchise legend Tom Brady on the Worldwide Leader's airwaves this week. Appearing on the ESPN morning program "Get Up!" this week, Tannenbaum hinted that the current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has two prominent offseason options if he opts to move on from Florida, both carrying a sense of home.

"The New England Patriots, go back home, or the San Francisco 49ers," Tannenbaum said, referencing both the organization Brady led to franchise-altering championship glory and the team he grew up rooting for as a California-born youth. 

Tannenbaum, previously a major decision-maker for the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, said that the Patriots' recent work on the offensive line lowers the level of ludicrousness a reunion between Brady and head Bill Belichick would undoubtedly beget. Though the decision to draft Cole Strange with the 29th overall pick has produced mixed results thus far, Tannenbaum indirectly listed his drafting as a prime reason for a Brady renewal. 

"(The Patriots) just invested another first-rounder in their offensive line," he said. "That offensive line is not bad, and they have better skill players than people realize. That may be a marriage of convenience, yeah, New England, yeah.”

The idea meets the instant ire of co-panelist ... and unapologetic Jets fan ... Mike Greenberg, who finds the idea of Brady working with the middling efforts of de facto New England offensive coordinators Matt Patricia and Joe Judge unrealistic, threatening to jump in the studio's Hudson River backdrop if such a union would come to fruition. 

Tannenbaum suggests that the Patriots are more than capable of change, hinting that they should change the offensive staff with Brady or no Brady. The incumbent group of New England skill players, he further declares, creates gridiron nirvana for the arguable greatest of all time ... even if he doesn't respond to another counter from former Brady opponent Domonique Foxworth that the Patriots "had a cornerback playing receiver last week," referencing rookie Marcus Jones successful turn on offense last Thursday night against Buffalo.  

"If you put Tom Brady in that offense, they have two good tight ends which we know that he loves, in Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith," Tannenbaum says. "They have a young receiver in (Tyquan) Thornton who can really stretch a defense. I just think, for a year or two, him going back there is not inconceivable."

Tannenbaum's theory came shortly after Brady led the NFC South-leading Buccaneers (6-6) back from a 16-3 deficit over the final minutes of a Monday night showdown against the New Orleans Saints. When the rumor of a Brady reunion originally emerged earlier this month, New England made a reported commitment to current quarterback Mac Jones, but the sophomore struggled in the 24-10 loss to the Bills in the first game since the GOAT gossip arrived. 

In either case, the Patriots (6-6) have more immediate problems to deal with: the team is looking to continue a playoff push on Monday night when they take on the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN). Ironically enough, Brady and the Buccaneers will face the 49ers on Sunday late afternoon in Santa Clara (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox).

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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