During a loaded NFL offseason that has already seen free-agent-to-be Tom Brady linked to teams including the Titans, Raiders, Chargers and Buccanneers, another organization has been named as a potential suitor for the Patriots legend: the New York Giants.
“Spoke with a number of NFL people over the last 36 hours or so here in Indy,” the NFL Network’s Michael Giardi reported on Twitter. “The initial reaction has been ‘there’s no way Tom Brady is leaving New England,’ but as you dig deeper, execs/coaches/scouts see the Titans, Raiders and Giants as possible suitors.”
Brady, who has an apartment in New York City and recently moved into a home in nearby Greenwich according to reports, seems like an odd choice to step into the shoes of retired New York quarterback Eli Manning.
For one, it doesn’t really make sense that the Giants, who haven’t won a playoff game in the eight seasons since beating the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, would want to replace a 39-year-old quarterback with a QB who will be 43 by the time the 2020 season starts.
The Giants essentially handed the team over to top draft pick Daniel Jones last season after Manning was ineffective and putting the former Duke star back on the bench would probably harm his development.
Or would it?
Before this Giants rumor came out, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported Brady would be willing to mentor a young quarterback like Jones.
“Brady also is eager to take on the role of mentor to a young quarterback, no matter where he plays, hoping to leave any organization in good shape when he retires,” La Canfora reported in January. “Part of his legacy, he believes, could be tied to seeing future generations embrace the TB12 training and lifestyle regimen that Brady strongly believes has helped him play so long at such a high level.”
Would Brady want to set up a TB12 outpost in NYC? Odds are he would and somehow incorporating Jones to help it flourish even after he retires would be a smart move.
Adding fuel to the fire is new Giants head coach Joe Judge, who spent the last eight years in New England and knows Brady well, being unwilling to commit to Jones as his starter in 2020.
It seems unlikely, but if the Giants do make a run at Brady, they have about $62 million in cap space to do it.
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