Tom Brady's intense Raiders return speculation prompts NFL anchor to threaten boycott
Rob Parker has reached a point of frustration with Tom Brady that he doesn't believe the seven-time Super Bowl winner will continue playing in his 24th NFL season. In fact, Parker stated that if Brady does decide to play, he would boycott any game in which Brady participates. Parker expressed his sentiments during an episode of "The Odd Couple" with Chris Broussard.
“I think he’s done playing and hope he’s done playing. Like enough. Can we move on and talk about somebody else, please? When somebody is around that long, it gets tiresome more than anything."
"I don’t believe that he’s going to play [in Vegas]… I would boycott any game Tom Brady is on. I’m not interested. I’m done with Tom Brady.”
Speculation about Brady's return gained momentum after he purchased a minority ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.
Meanwhile, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo hasn't passed the physical after discovering that he needs additional surgery for the foot injury he suffered last season.
Parker also criticized Brady's struggles in navigating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense.
“They were terrible in the red zone, and it was awful to watch. I’m done. This past season the Bucs were 25th in scoring, they averaged 18.4 points, were 3-4 in their final 7 games— scored more than 20 points just twice, barely winning the terrible NFC South.”
“Tom Brady had the lowest touchdown percentage— 3.4%, and the second-lowest yards per attempt, 6.4; third-lowest air-yards per attempt, 6.5, and his career-low QBR—52.5. He was awful last year.”
Although Brady set an NFL record with 490 completions during the 2022 regular season, his yardage and touchdown numbers were relatively modest with 4,694 yards and 25 touchdowns. While he did manage 351 passing yards and two touchdowns in the Wild Card Round game against the Dallas Cowboys, it wasn't enough to overcome Dallas' dominant 31-14 performance.
Jimmy Garoppolo's injury could be an opening for Tom Brady's potential return
Garoppolo, Brady's former teammate with the New England Patriots, agreed to a three-year, $72.75 million deal with the Raiders. However, the contract's validity depends on Garoppolo passing a physical examination. Reports of an injury-related addendum in the contract have fueled speculation.
If Garoppolo is unable to play for Las Vegas, the Raiders would be left with limited quarterback options, such as Brian Hoyer, Aidan O'Connell, and Chase Garbers. In this scenario, Brady could step in until the Raiders potentially draft a quarterback in the following year. Despite Brady's connection with the Raiders' top brass, Parker remains skeptical about the likelihood of Brady joining the AFC West team.
“I do get it, in a vacuum when you just go and connect the dots, then right, Tom Brady is connecting the dots with somebody he’s had a long-stand relationship with [Josh McDaniels], and you can make the case, but I just don’t see it happening.”