“To come in for a little bit, like (Michael Jordan) coming back? I don’t know if they’d let me, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” Brady said.

After already coming out of retirement once, Tom Brady announced last year he was done playing football “for good.” Now, at age 46, he’s apparently reconsidering that statement.

Brady teased a potential NFL return during his appearance on “DeepCuts with VicBlends.” While doing so, the legendary quarterback even mentioned the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders as possible landing spots. Here’s how the exchange went:

VicBlends: “Let’s say one day there’s a situation. Maybe it’s the (San Francisco) 49ers, maybe you know headed to the playoffs, offense is great —”

Brady: “Patriots. Could be Raiders, could be, you never know.”

VicBlends: “God forbid somebody goes down. Would you pick up that phone?”

Brady: “I’m not opposed to it. I don’t know if they’re going to let me if I become an owner of an NFL team. I don’t know. I’m always going to be in good shape, always going to be able to throw the ball, so. To come in for a little bit, like (Michael Jordan) coming back? I don’t know if they’d let me, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”

Patriots and Raiders fans shouldn’t get too excited, though. Brady is set to become a Raiders minority owner and as he mentions in the interview, league rules would prevent him from playing while being a part owner of an NFL team.

As fun as it is to think about, another Brady comeback is highly unlikely. The seven-time Super Bowl champion will instead shift his focus to the broadcast booth, where he’ll serve as FOX’s lead color commentator starting next season.

3 Patriots Who Could Be Traded During NFL Draft

These 3 Patriots could be traded for extra draft capital

It’s a new era for the New England Patriots. For the first time since 1999, they have a head coach who isn’t Bill Belichick running the show. The future Hall of Fame coach has been replaced by Jerod Mayo, a former New England linebacker.

Mayo has his work cut out for him as the Patriots were just 4-13 last year. The roster needs a lot of attention, with the quarterback position standing out as the greatest need.

They’ll be sure to address that with their top pick but they could look to move some veterans as well during the draft to add more capital. Look for these three names to be tossed around in trade talks during the draft.

3. Deatrich Wise, DE

A former fourth-round pick from Arkansas, Deatrich Wise has spent the past seven years in New England. He’s been an underrated defender for the majority of his career but had a breakout campaign in 2022. Wise recorded 59 tackles and 7.5 sacks, both career highs. He added another 54 tackles and 4.5 sacks this past season but could be used as trade bait.

Wise is in the final year of his deal and trading him would free up more than $5.4 million. There’s also an in-house replacement in Keion White, a second-round pick from Georgia Tech in 2023.

The Patriots could decide to move on from Wise this season rather than let him walk in 2025. Getting a pick now, even a day-three selection, is better than getting nothing in return after this season.

2. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR

There was a time when JuJu Smith-Schuster was one of the top up-and-coming receivers in the game. The USC product started his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017 and put up 917 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie.

Smith-Schuster was just 20 years old when he was drafted so his promising rookie campaign was very encouraging. He continued to grow as a player in 2018, hauling in 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and seven more touchdowns. Unfortunately, that was the first and last time he crossed the 1,000-yard plateau.

Injuries played a part in his decline but he also seemed more interested in making TikTok videos than actually playing the game. Eventually, the Steelers moved on and he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on a one-year deal. Without any long-term security, Smith-Schuster had another strong campaign, gaining 933 yards for the Chiefs.

After helping them win a Super Bowl, he signed with the Patriots on a three-year deal. Again with some comfort in a multi-year deal, his production fell off a cliff. In his first season with New England, he had just 260 yards and one touchdown on 29 receptions.

As bad as he was, the Patriots might be able to flip him for a pick. If some general manager misses out on their ideal receiver prospect, they might be willing to roll the dice on Smith-Schuster. Perhaps they’ll believe his issues were related to Mac Jones, who was awful in 2023. That could be enough to convince them to send a late pick to New England, getting his contract off the books.

1. Ja’Whaun Bentley, LB

A fifth-round pick in 2018 out of Purdue, Ja’Whaun Bentley developed into a starting linebacker by his third season in the NFL. He’s put up some impressive statistics with more than 100 tackles in each of the past three seasons.

In 2023, he had 114 tackles and a career-high 4.5 sacks. Still, he’s not expected to be with the team much longer.

Lee Vowell of Musket Fire believes the Patriots will move on from Bentley in 2025, making this his final season with the team. He cites missed tackles as a reason for New England being willing to part ways and says he’s replaceable as well.

Much like Deatrich Wise, the Patriots set themselves up to be able to move on. This offseason, they signed Sione Takitaki, an underrated linebacker who spent the past five seasons with the Cleveland Browns.

Takitaki would be capable of filling in for Bentley while New England searches for a permanent replacement before 2025. Trading him would create a hit of more than $3.6 million in dead money while freeing up $2.6 million but the Pats would be getting something now rather than losing him for nothing in a year.