Rob Gronkowski reveals likelihood of Tom Brady joining Raiders

What Tom Brady will do in the 2023 offseason is quite up in the air but longtime teammate Rob Gronkowski seems to think going to the Raiders is unlikely.

In what could be a highly frenetic 2023 NFL offseason in terms of quarterback movement, Tom Brady is one of the wild cards. Set to be 46 years old next season, no one knows yet — not even the quarterback — if he plans to retire or, if that’s not the case, where he’ll try to end up in free agency.

One oft-mentioned free agency destination for Brady, though, is the Las Vegas Raiders. They made the call at the end of this past season to move on from Derek Carr and, as they look for a trade partner there, they will also be looking for an upgrade on the open market.

Brady’s former teammate and friend Rob Gronkowski, however, doesn’t appear to think that’s really in the cards.

Appearing on a podcast, Gronk was asked whether Tom Brady was more likely to end up back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a fourth season or to sign with the Raiders. The future Hall-of-Fame tight end didn’t hesitate to say that coming back to the Bucs for a fourth season was the likelier option.

Tom Brady rumors: Rob Gronkowski says QB more likely to return to Bucs than sign with Raiders

If Raiders fans are honest with themselves, this shouldn’t be all that surprising. While the team does have some enticing pieces on both sides of the ball, most notably with the Davante Adams trade from last offseason, they aren’t a Tom Brady away from being a Super Bowl contender. This is a roster that has major holes to fill.

Given his age, the fact of the matter is that Brady isn’t going to a team that isn’t ready to win upon his arrival. He’s going to try and win another ring and, if he doesn’t retire, that’s almost surely going to be his first priority in deciding where he’ll sign. The Raiders simply don’t fit that bill, which is a problem for their chances to do so, obviously.

Never say never. Perhaps the Raiders can pull off other moves that make Las Vegas a more enticing destination for Brady. But as things currently stand, Gronk’s read of the situation makes a ton of sense.