The Minnesota Vikings will be looking for their quarterback of the future in Thursday’s NFL Draft. But when it comes to their quarterback in 2024, could they be interested in giving Tom Brady a call?
The seven-time Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Famer opened the door for a potential comeback this week and the initial reaction of Vikings fans is probably to dismiss the idea.
But even as the Vikings are likely to be aggressive in the draft, here are some reasons that Brady could make sense in Minnesota if he decides to pick up the phone for one last run.
1. Immediate upgrade over Sam Darnold
The Vikings signing of Darnold in March made everyone sweat as it seemed like he would at least begin 2024 as the starter. But even at his advanced age, Brady would be an upgrade if he joined the Vikings next season.
Brady’s last season came in 2022 and he was still an effective quarterback while leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the playoffs. Brady’s Pro Football Focus numbers also looked solid as his passing grade, big-time throw and turnover-worthy play rates compared similarly to Kirk Cousins’s numbers from last season.
Although Kevin O’Connell could probably elevate Darnold’s game, he wouldn’t need to with Brady at the helm, leading the Vikings to have a more suitable option and an easier transition from Cousins in 2024.
2. Justin Jefferson more likely to sign extension?
A lot has been made about the Vikings’ attempt to sign Jefferson to an extension and even more has been made about his thoughts on Minnesota’s pursuit of a quarterback.
Drafting a quarterback would be one way to appeal to Jefferson but another would be to have him catch passes from the greatest quarterback of all time.
Brady probably couldn’t do what he did for Randy Moss during his stint in New England during the 2000s but it’s a sure bet he could get the ball to his best playmaker. If anything, Brady could buy time for the Vikings’ next quarterback to develop and Jefferson could happily sign on the dotted line knowing he has a solid quarterback in the short term.
3. More flexibility in the draft
The Vikings currently hold the No. 11 and No. 23 picks in the draft but many assume both picks will be used to get a quarterback in Thursday’s draft. There’s also speculation that they’ll need to part with their 2025 first-round pick to make it happen, but they could put the cards back in their favor by signing Brady.
Brady could at least allow them to exercise their “walk-away price” for a certain prospect and allow the Vikings to use both of their first-rounders to build their infrastructure.
It could allow the Vikings to take Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II at No. 11 and Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell at No. 23 and target Tennessee’s Joe Milton or South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler in the later rounds of the draft. Or, something like that. You get the picture.
Both quarterbacks aren’t sure things but they would have the opportunity to learn behind Brady while he keeps the Vikings competitive in 2024 and allows them to hold onto their first-round pick in 2025.
4. Brady ensures redshirt year for Vikings’ future QB
The Vikings could seize their destiny at the quarterback position with a trade on Thursday night but each of those quarterbacks are projects that could use another year of seasoning.
If the Vikings go ahead and make a move to secure LSU’s Jayden Daniels, North Carolina’s Drake Maye or Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, they could sit behind Brady and Darnold and theoretically not have to hit the field.
In addition to learning behind two veterans, it would essentially secure a redshirt year similar to the one Daunte Culpepper had behind Randall Cunningham and Jeff George in 1999.
Culpepper went on to lead the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game in his first year as a starter in 2000 and it could be a similar trajectory if Brady comes to Minnesota.
5. Make Vikings an instant Super Bowl contender
The NFC is wide open and if Brady can still sling it then the Vikings could be really good.
Outside of Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia, Dak Prescott in Dallas, Brock Purdy in San Francisco and Kirk Cousins in Atlanta, the NFC is littered with teams with unproven franchise quarterbacks. Much like Brady did for Tampa Bay earlier this decade, Brady could elevate the Vikings to contender status, especially with the infrastructure they have in place.
With Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones as weapons, the Vikings could at least push to get to the divisional round of the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and potentially the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 2017.
Is that enough to get Brady to come out of retirement? Probably not. But it might be enough to pick up the phone and that makes the Brady speculation something Vikings fans may not want to dismiss.
