Did Tom Brady recruit Matthew Stafford?

The Matthew Stafford saga has taken the NFL by storm this offseason. Teams around the league are all trying to get their hands on the Los Angeles Rams quarterback since the news broke that Stafford is likely to be traded, and quarterback-needy teams all over the league immediately had their names attached to the rumors.

Those rumors ratcheted up on Wednesday when reports surfaced that Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady hosted Stafford on a visit at a ski resort in Montana, presumably to recruit him and sell him on a possible trade to the Raiders.

Just hours after the rumors dropped, Brady’s agent Don Yee vehemently denied them, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Media.

“I know that reporters sometimes make mistakes in their haste, but this story’s inaccurate,” Yee said, per Pelissero.

Of course, there is a chance that Brady and Stafford both just happened to be at a resort in Montana at the same time during the offseason, but it’s unclear what the real story is at this point. Regardless, the Raiders are in the market for a quarterback this offseason and Stafford is one of the best names on the market at the position.

Why Matthew Stafford makes sense for the Raiders

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Whether the rumors of this alleged recruiting trip are true or not, it would make sense that Tom Brady and the Raiders have an interest in Matthew Stafford. Stafford is by far the best quarterback who is known to be available this offseason and the Raiders have a glaring hole at the position.

The Raiders hold the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL Draft, but they may not feel comfortable using that on a signal caller given the perceived weakness of the class at that position. There is also a good chance that Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward will both be gone by the time the Raiders pick, which would leave them empty-handed at the top of the draft.

The free agent market is pretty thin as well for any team looking for a new quarterback. Sam Darnold and Aaron Rodgers are the best of the bunch, but neither feels like a true long-term solution. Kirk Cousins is also available in a potential trade, but he didn’t play well for most of last season after recovering from his Achilles injury.

That leaves Stafford, who will cost the Raiders draft capital to acquire in a trade but may be worth it if they want to compete in the AFC West right away under new head coach Pete Carroll. The tradeoff of sending out picks for an aging quarterback is a concerning one, especially for a roster with as many holes as this one, but it could be worth entertaining for Brady and the rest of the front office.