Tom Brady is retired, but that didn't stop one elite NFL wide receiver from admitting he would love the greatest quarterback in history to play for his team.
"Hell yes," Raiders wideout Davante Adams said on the Club Shay Shay podcast before host Shannon Sharpe could even finish asking if he'd want the legendary QB in Las Vegas.
Adams later added: “Look, Tom knows how I feel about him, man. And the other part is I think I’d be the first person that played with Tom and Aaron, so that would be pretty cool. I mean, he’s getting older, but he got to still be able to throw it better than half these dudes in the league.”
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(The full Brady conversation between Adams and Sharpe begins at the 45:07 mark):
Brady retired for a second time after the 2022 season, and he's been adamant that he's done for good this time.
That said, Adams is probably right that Brady could still throw better than half of the QBs in the league right now, even though he'll be 47 years old in a few weeks. It should be noted that Brady ranked third in passing yards and eighth in touchdown passes during his final season at age 45.
The Raiders finished 8-9 last season and missed the playoffs for the third time in four seasons since the franchise relocated to Las Vegas.
Jimmy Garoppolo was supposed to be an upgrade at quarterback for the Raiders in 2023, but he struggled to produce and played in just seven games. He was benched in late October and eventually left as a free agent back in March. He's now the backup behind Matthew Stafford on the Los Angeles Rams.
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The Raiders will go into the 2024 season with Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew atop the quarterback depth chart. Neither player is likely to carry the Raiders to the playoffs.
Despite lackluster quarterback play for much of last season, Adams still tallied 103 receptions for 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns while playing in all 17 games. He remains a top 10 wideout and a nightmare for opposing defensive backs.
The Raiders are essentially wasting the last elite years of Adams' prime with the caliber of quarterbacks on their roster right now. It's hard to imagine the Raiders competing for a playoff spot in a very strong AFC -- and AFC West, in particular -- unless they get much better quarterback play in 2024.