Soon-to-be free agent quarterback Tom Brady spent much of his life growing up in Minnesota. Could that lead him to the Minnesota Vikings in 2023?
On Sunday, we shared the rumor that the Minnesota Vikings may be a “dark horse” to sign free-agent quarterback Tom Brady this offseason.
For now it’s just a rumor and nothing more. But after we delve a little deeper, Brady actually has some very interesting connections to the state of Minnesota.
Could those connections lead to the future Hall of Famer signing with the Vikings this off-season? A lot of things would need to be clarified for that, but Brady, who finishes in purple and gold for the 2023 season, shouldn’t be ruled out just yet.
Why Tom Brady might want to sign with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023
In the 2017 season, Brady helped the New England Patriots earn a berth in Super Bowl LII to face the Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota’s US Bank Stadium.
In the run-up to the matchup, some interesting information about Brady’s past relationship with the state of Minnesota became public knowledge, including the fact that his mother grew up in the small town of Browerville, Minnesota.
Here’s what Brady had to say about the state the Vikings call home in February 2018.
“I like to come back here. I have a lot of family here. It’s in great condition. It’s pretty incredible to actually play here.”
The superstar quarterback actually spent several summers growing up in Browerville with his grandparents, and he said in 2018 that some of his “[greatest] memories” as a kid I spent in the small town in Minnesota.
Now that we know Brady likes the state where the Vikings play, it seems a little more believable that he could sign with them this year.
But before Minnesota can even consider signing arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history, they’d first have to figure out what to do with Kirk Cousins.
Cousins is entering the final year of his contract, and with the Vikings having just one playoff win in his five seasons with the team, the front office could be interested in finding a new starting quarterback as soon as this offseason .
The best way for Minnesota to get off Cousins this year would be to trade him, as that would create $17.5 million in caps. However, the veteran quarterback has a full no-trade clause in his current deal, meaning he would have to agree to any trade the Vikings might try to include him this offseason.
If Minnesota can find a trading partner that Cousins is okay with, Brady to the Vikings will be a lot more realistic this year.
Now, some Minnesota fans may want nothing to do with the future Hall of Famer quarterback. Brady will turn 46 in August, ending a 2022 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that ended in a 31-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs.
Compared to 2021, when he threw for 5,300 yards and 40 touchdowns, Brady’s performance this season with 4,694 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns was certainly a step backwards. But his struggles in 2022 could easily be attributed to poor play-calling and the Bucs not having as much talent on the offensive side of the ball as they did in 2021 and 2020.
Just think what Brady could do with weapons like Justin Jefferson, TJ Hockenson, KJ Osborn, Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook on the Vikings offense.
Even if they did sign future Hall of Famers this offseason, Minnesota would still have work to do on the defensive side of the ball for them to become a legitimate contender for the NFC in 2023. But adding Brady would certainly set her on the right track.
