Raiders Get Desperate: Did Tom Brady ‘Host’ Matthew Stafford In An Attempt To Recruit Him?

The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback room has been a revolving door for the past two seasons.

It began when they released mainstay Derek Carr (who has also now been released by the New Orleans Saints). Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and even Desmond Ridder all took snaps in the 2024 season, none with particular success. And now the Raiders find themselves in the same situation as an offseason ago, searching for a bona fide starting quarterback.

The team’s 4-13 record looks nicer than it felt, bolstered by two late-season wins that took them out of the running for the first few draft picks. Picking sixth, the Raiders were all but consigned to finding a quarterback through free agency – where they were reportedly targeting Los Angeles Rams veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was granted permission to discuss with other teams amid a turbulent contract renegotiation.

The offseason courting process is generally a straightforward one. Through a serendipitous and still-murky series of events, though, the Raiders’ quest for Stafford may have become quite nontraditional.

Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz reported on Wednesday that Raiders minority owner Tom Brady had “hosted [Stafford] at his home in Montana, where they spent time together and went skiing,” presumably as a part of the Raiders’ “aggressive” pursuit of Stafford. The report raised resistance – alternate reports called the meeting “unplanned” and “an Internet rumor” – along with scrutiny about potential tampering.

The Raiders were reportedly willing to give Stafford $90 to $100 million, and Brady was indisputably a part of the “strong pitch” they offered. As it turns out, though, any of the Raiders’ alleged tactics have fallen by the wayside. Stafford, who agreed to a restructured deal with Los Angeles on Friday, isn’t heading to Vegas.

Despite their dismal last couple seasons, the Raiders continue to insist they’re in ‘win-now’ mode. With Stafford off the table, the temperature is only increasing for the team to secure a viable quarterback – or resign themselves to another year of flat mediocrity.