During Tuesday’s PFT Live, Chris Simms and I were spitballing on potential destinations for quarterback Tom Brady, if (as it appears) he intends to keep playing.
His testiness, which many regard as contrived, over simply being asked on his own pre-taped podcast for a “timetable” on his decision seems to be (in my opinion) an attempt to cover up any tampering that will happen before he officially becomes a free agent in March — if any tampering isn’t happening already.
So while coming up with places where Brady may think he would have a chance to win an eighth championship, Simms mentioned one I hadn’t previously considered.
The Detroit Lions.
Wouldn’t that be something? Tom Brady, back in Michigan. Tom Brady, with a Lions team that finished 2022 strong. A Lions team with an impressive nucleus of talented players. A Lions team that quarterback Jared Goff may be able to lead on a deep run in the postseason, but may not be able to take over the top.
Brady has shown he can do it. Seven times. And while he’s 46, if the Lions want to finally make an appearance in the Super Bowl and possibly even win it, Brady could give them a better chance to do it than Goff.
I know, I know. Goff doesn’t deserve to suddenly find himself swirling in a storm of speculation. But the reality is that, when he arrived in Detroit two years ago, no one believed he’d be anything more than a short-term solution. He has played well enough to be traded to a team that needs a starter, and there could be one or two teams looking for one after the looming game of signal-caller musical chairs ends.
Beyond football, there’s a very real business element to wanting Brady. He’d sell every ticket to every game at Ford Field. The Lions also would end up with multiple prime-time games, along with multiple 4:25 p.m. ET contests. In recent years, those games draw even more viewers than games played at night.
Maybe that’s the way to finally break the Curse of Bobby Layne, who was only 31 when the Lions traded him but looked 46. Maybe it would be fitting to bring in a quarterback who will be 46 but looks closer to 31.
At this point, it’s nothing more than a dart thrown loosely in the direction of the board. But if the Lions get a phone call from someone on Brady’s behalf in the coming weeks (or if they already have), it won’t be easy to say no. And it ultimately could make plenty of sense to say, “Hell yes.”