Julian Edelman, Patriots reporter address latest Tom Brady comeback whispers

Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman earned three Super Bowl rings playing alongside Tom Brady and seems convinced the 46-year-old quarterback isn't serious about attempting another playing comeback. 

"No bro! The guy is in St. Tropez right now," Edelman recently told Ryan Morik of Fox News Digital about Brady. "...That whole thing with the interview, I saw it. The wording was if someone got hurt late in the season, do you think you can do it? And Tom’s a confident guy. He definitely thinks he can go do it."

Brady generated headlines when it was learned last week that he said during an appearance on the "DeepCut with VicBlends" podcast that he was "not opposed" to playing for a contender during the 2024 season. 

The seven-time Super Bowl champion made his comments roughly two months after Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes became a three-time Super Bowl champion and three-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player at the age of 28. 

Mahomes hasn't hidden that he's chasing Brady as it pertains to GOAT status. That fact seemingly wasn't lost on Edelman. 

"Patrick Mahomes is coming up on him," Edelman said. "Maybe Tom comes back and sneaks another Super Bowl to separate himself." 

However, Edelman also added that he doesn't "think" Brady will go through with any comeback plans. 

"Probably not," Edelman directly stated. 

For a piece published Friday morning, Patriots beat writer Chris Mason of MassLive "put the chance of a Brady comeback anywhere at roughly one percent." Mason also said he thinks "it’s very, very, very unlikely" Brady tries to play following his 47th birthday that he'll celebrate in early August. 

There are several reasons to believe Edelman and Mason are correct. For starters, Brady acknowledged as far back as October 2023 that his parents and kids would "kill" him if he didn't stay retired this time around. 

He's set to be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame this coming June. Additionally, Brady remains on track to become both Fox's lead NFL analyst starting with the upcoming season and a limited partner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Why, then, would Brady cause such a stir before the 2024 NFL Draft? 

"There’s a level of attention stars in the NFL become accustomed to and they often continue to seek a little spotlight after retirement," Mason explained. 

Brady completed a media tour last spring that was at least somewhat related to his commitment to staying retired. Unless NFL owners have slammed the door shut on his Raiders deal, logic suggests he's taken his last meaningful snap as an active player.