Tom Brady to the Jets? Why NFL unretirement memes are unlikely to come true after Aaron Rodgers injury

Bryan Murphy

•
Tom Brady to the Jets? Why NFL unretirement memes are unlikely to come true after Aaron Rodgers injury image

Jets fans have been passionate Tom Brady haters for more than two decades now, but could he be their saving grace in 2023?

The Jets' season was turned upside down before it even really started, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles just four plays into his New York debut. The four-time MVP and Super Bowl champion, who was acquired this offseason from the Packers, has been ruled out for the rest of the season. 

It leaves the Jets currently with Zach Wilson as the team's starting QB. Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick from 2021, was the starter the last two seasons for New York, but his poor showing caused the Jets to look elsewhere this offseason to address the QB position.

MORE: What to know about Aaron Rodgers' Achilles injury

Now, the Jets are right back to square one, with considerably less options now that the season has begun. Rams QB Matthew Stafford and Saints backup Jameis Winston have been thrown around as potential trade targets to replace Rodgers.

But what about bringing the greatest quarterback of all time to East Rutherford?

Tom Brady to the Jets?

That's right. Brady's name has been brought up as a fun, but highly unlikely option to take over QB duties with the Jets. Shannon Sharpe and former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum were just two people who brought up the potential for a Brady-Jets connection. 

The longtime Patriots signal-caller retired from football this past spring, but Brady has come out of retirement before. After initially retiring after the 2021 season, the veteran QB elected to come back for another year as the Buccaneers' quarterback. 

However, The Athletic's Diana Russini reported that Brady's name can be taken off the list. The Jets reportedly are not going to pursue the legendary quarterback as a replacement for Rodgers. 

It certainly would've stun the NFL world. Brady was just at Gillette Stadium for the Patriots' season opener against the Eagles, where he was honored with a halftime ceremony and the announcement was made by New England owner Robert Kraft that Brady would be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in June of 2024. 

MORE: Jets QB depth chart: Zach Wilson takes over for injured Aaron Rodgers

The 46-year-old, who emphatically ended his speech by saying "I'm a Patriot for life!", also shot down the idea of coming out of retirement. 

"Getting a lot of perspective, and there's no better place for me to be on opening day in the NFL than here with these fans," Brady said. "So many people came to support and I'm blessed. ... It's not as fun as playing I'm sure of that. But I'm so happy to put that part of my life to bed and move on to other things. I'm cheering on a couple of my favorite teams and I love seeing this be a competitive game."

Brady also posted a video to Twitter on Tuesday morning, showing him getting reps in ... just for an entirely different sport.

The odds of Brady coming out of retirement (again) and joining the Jets out of all teams are pretty slim. However, crazier things have happened in the NFL. 

How Tom Brady can return to NFL

If Brady were to hypothetically come out of retirement for a second time, the process of being approved has a slight bump. Since Brady became a part-owner of the Raiders, there are some stipulations that the league has to consider for the GOAT to get back on the playing field. 

According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio earlier this year, Brady would need 24 owners to approve of his return to playing in the NFL, but not all 32. Instead of one team blocking Brady's ability to play again, there would have to be at least nine organizations that oppose the move. 

This is what a league spokesman told Florio:

"Any ownership transaction, such as an individual purchasing a limited partnership, would need an affirmative vote of 3/4ths of the teams (24 of 32). The 32 clubs would have to consider a limited partner playing in the league and take a vote that would need 3/4th approval for him or her to be permitted to play."

Of course, the premise then was that he could play for the Raiders, not a different team than the one he part-owns. 

Tom Brady Jets memes

When Rodgers went down with the injury, the internet went crazy with the memes, per usual. 

From fans simply throwing out the idea of Brady to the Jets to Patriots fans reacting to the possibility, here are some of the best Brady-Jets memes:

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.