Tom

Brady

Brady, an announcer for Fox Sports, was very much involved in the team’s search for a new head coach after the Raiders fired Pete Carroll after one season. They landed on former Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who apparently, like Brady, is “hard-working,” creating “a high level of accountability and discipline, and could lead. And the leadership part didn’t necessarily mean the guy had to be a wake-up-the-echoes speaker.” That the Raiders are building the team in Brady’s image is no surprise given hi success over 23 NFL seasons. That Brady is so intimately involved with shaping an NFL franchise while working as an announcer is another issue entirely.

Daboll could have his choice of destinations, somehow, after a rough stretch as New York’s head coach. Daboll reportedly prioritized the Bills head coaching job but could fall back on the Raiders gig if Buffalo goes in another direction in the coming days. In Vegas, Daboll would be charged with heading a lengthy rebuild of a team without much talent and with no real direction from the front office, which may or may not be controlled by Fox Sports announcer Tom Brady. Daboll won 33.5 percent of his games as Giants head coach over three and a half seasons.

NFL Insider Jordan Schultz said Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak and Broncos pass game coordinator and QB coach Davis Webb have come up “a lot” as top candidates, while adding that Chargers DC Jesse Minter “has come up as well.” Schultz also notes that Raiders co-owner Tom Brady has been “calling a number of Seahawks games of late,” giving Kubiak repeated opportunities to audition for the role live in front of one of the Raiders’ top decision makers.

Tafur also notes that after examining Geno Smith’s recent contract extension through 2027, “the Raiders have a clear out after 2026.” Smith’s team-friendly deal keeps the Raiders in play for a quarterback with the No. 6 overall pick, though fantasy managers may be forced to wait a year before drafting said player.

The Raiders were reportedly ready to offer Matthew Stafford “a two-year deal for around $90-100 million” if Stafford wanted out of Los Angeles, and if the Rams were willing to accept a second-round pick in exchange, but Stafford chose to stay put. While Brady and Spytek obviously call the shots, it is worth noting that “there are members of the Raiders’ offensive coaching staff who prefer adding a proven veteran quarterback to taking a dice roll on a rookie quarterback.” The Raiders’ new leadership group failed to achieve its number one offseason goal, securing Stafford, and must now work through their first organizational obstacle. The results of the new quarterback search will have a lasting impact on the current group’s tenure.

Brady, per Pelissero, wanted to know “what it would take” to lure Belichick away from the University of North Carolina job he took a few weeks ago. Belichick’s deal with the university is over five years, though Belichick reportedly has easy outs in the deal. The Raiders this week fired head coach Antonio Pierce after one disastrous season at the helm. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Belichick could be on the Raiders sideline in 2025.

The circumstances under which Brady would be willing to return are about what you’d expect. Brady said if a team in contention were to have lost its quarterback late in a season, he would be open to a return. Now a full year removed from the game and set to begin a broadcasting career this upcoming season; it’s hard to imagine Brady, who will be 47 in August, stepping in after more than a year away to help a hypothetical contender. As Brady also pointed out, he’s hoping to become a minority owner of the Raiders, and he doesn’t know if the league would allow him to return if he were holding a stake in another team.

Brady insists he has retired for the last time. The mere existence of a report like this shows the lengths to which the Jets might go to sign a viable starting quarterback should Zach Wilson play as poorly as he did in 2021 and 2022. Brady, meanwhile, will probably have to deny comeback rumors until his 50s.

Brady’s purchase in a minority stake in the Raiders, coupled with Jimmy Garoppolo’s foot injury, has once again spurred speculation of Brady returning. Brady squashing rumors of a return has become commonplace since he announced his retirement in February and will likely continue through the remainder of the season. Brady’s status will be one to monitor if the Raiders cut ties with Garoppolo this offseason. However, it appears the future hall of famer is intent on staying retired regardless of how many times he’s asked.

Garoppolo is expected to miss the Raiders’ OTAs. Reed said Jimmy G’s recovery timeline is unknown but “the sense is that the team is confident he’ll be ready to play by the start of the regular season.” Head coach Josh McDaniels wouldn’t answer directly on Thursday when asked if Garoppolo had undergone surgery on the foot he injured late last season. It’s curious timing for such a procedure -- four months after Garoppolo suffered the injury against the Dolphins in Week 13. Garoppolo, who has missed 31 games over the past four seasons, has a long history of strange timing for surgical procedures. Brian Hoyer or rookie QB Aidan O’Connell could get starts for the down-bad Raiders if Garoppolo isn’t ready for the regular season. Tom Brady’s involvement with the Raiders could take on renewed interest too.