Getty Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby.
Despite paying Jimmy Garoppolo a hefty sum this offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders continue to be involved in quarterback rumors. Garoppolo is injured right now and not participating in organized team activities. The team has a clause in his contract that would allow them to cut him if he’s unable to pass a physical.
The Raiders believe he’ll be fine in time for training camp but setbacks happen all the time. There’s still a possibility that he’ll never play a snap for the team. If that happens, Las Vegas could have a problem on its hands. They didn’t add any other notable quarterbacks this offseason. A team led by Brian Hoyer or a rookie isn’t going to win many games.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby has cemented himself as one of the best players in the NFL in recent years. He isn’t looking to tank. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady plans to join Raiders ownership and despite speculation he’ll play for the team, he has insisted that he is retired for good. Crosby isn’t buying it. He could still see a scenario where Brady plays for the Raiders.
“Obviously, we’ve got Jimmy G,” Crosby said on “The Voncast.” “He’s coming back, he’s gonna be healthy. But you never know what’s gonna happen. Tom Brady is a competitor. … 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.”
Is Brady Actually Done?
Brady keeps insisting that he’s done. A big reason why people think he might have another year left in the tank is the fact that he’s not starting his job as an analyst for Fox Sports until next year. He doesn’t have any commitments that would stop him from playing this season.
Brady does seem serious about retirement this time. He doesn’t want to get into an endless cycle of retiring only to unretire. He’s on track to be a part owner of the Raiders so he’ll be able to stay involved in football. While it’s impossible to know for sure with Brady, it does seem likely that he is telling the truth when he says he’s retired.
How to Convince Brady to Join Raiders
If Brady is going to play one more season, the Raiders are the logical landing spot. He doesn’t need to learn the offense because he helped develop it with Josh McDaniels when they were both in New England. There wouldn’t be much of a learning curve for him to get back into things.
The Raiders have questions on defense but the offense should be good. Josh Jacobs led the NFL in rushing yards last season and Davante Adams was First-Team All-Pro at wide receiver. Plus, he’d be able to reunite with old teammate Jakobi Meyers. The Raiders have the tools to field an excellent offense if they have the right quarterback. If Garoppolo isn’t able to play, the team won’t have a lot of options at quarterback. It’s easy to see them try to convince Brady to make one last run. That would certainly make the Raiders one of the most interesting teams in the league next season.
