Insider reveals challenges Tom Brady would face if he wanted to play for Raiders

The recent developments regarding Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's contract have prompted speculation about whether Tom Brady would join the team if necessary, but it's unlikely as he would face numerous obstacles.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported Saturday that Garoppolo, who signed a three-year deal with Las Vegas this offseason, would've failed a physical due to his pre-existing foot injury.

In place of a physical, Garoppolo signed Addendum G, a waiver that allows the Raiders to release him if he fails a medical examination. The waiver also combines Garoppolo's $11.25M signing bonus with his base salary for 2023, and if he plays in one game for Las Vegas, he'll earn $22.5M this season.

Garoppolo broke his foot during San Francisco's Week 13 win against Miami last season, with the initial belief that the injury wouldn't require surgery. Last week, reports surfaced that Garoppolo underwent an operation on his foot shortly after signing with the Raiders.

The uncertainty surrounding Garoppolo's status has led many to suggest Brady, awaiting his minority ownership stake in the Raiders to be approved, could be a potential fallback option at quarterback. As a part owner, he'd technically be an unofficial member of the roster, and with access to team resources, it's hard not to consider him as the Raiders' best alternative.

However, Florio shut down rumors on Sunday, explaining that Brady would need to be unanimously approved by all 32 owners, which would be virtually impossible to achieve. Furthermore, other teams would be against Brady returning for a 24th season because the Raiders could hypothetically manipulate the salary cap.

Florio writes that Brady would be eligible to accept a league minimum salary to play while maintaining ownership benefits, which teams would understandably take issue with. Additionally, if Brady decided to take a higher-paying salary, he'd earn far more than whatever he'd sign for thanks to his status as an owner.

While Brady claims that he's retiring "for good," he's already changed his mind on the subject before. Perhaps he'll consider holding off on purchasing a share of the Raiders for the time being while the Garoppolo situation gets sorted out.