The New York Giants are all in on trading for Matthew Stafford. The Las Vegas Raiders? Also in. And who just so happens to be playing recruiter for Vegas? None other than Tom Brady—the man who has lost to the Giants twice on football’s biggest stage and apparently isn’t ready to take another L to Big Blue.
Brady, now a minority owner of the Raiders, was spotted skiing in Montana with Stafford, in what can only be described as the least subtle attempt at a recruitment pitch ever. The NFL’s most notorious competitor just so happened to “accidentally” run into a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who’s currently weighing his next move? Sure. And we’re supposed to believe this was a coincidence... in Montana?
Brady might not be suiting up anymore, but he’s still out here making sure the Giants don’t get another one over on him. And if Stafford ends up in Vegas, you better believe it’ll feel like the GOAT finally notched a win against New York.
Tom Brady will go to the ends of... Montana to beat the Giants
According to Jordan Schultz, Brady hosted Stafford at his home in Montana, where the two went skiing and, conveniently, talked about the possibility of Stafford joining the Raiders. Schultz went as far as to say Brady is “actively trying to convince” Stafford to head to Vegas.
Sources: #Raiders minority owner Tom Brady recently hosted #Rams QB Matthew Stafford at his home in Montana, where they spent time together and went skiing. Brady has been actively trying to convince Stafford to join the Raiders, and discussions are ongoing.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 26, 2025
Several teams are… pic.twitter.com/Jo9xxw2M6e
Meanwhile, NFL insider Ian Rapoport tried to downplay the meeting, calling it an "unplanned” and “not extensive” run-in on the slopes. Right. Because nothing says random encounter like two high-profile quarterbacks just so happening to bump into each other on a remote mountain while skiing.
#Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and #Rams QB Matthew Stafford ran into each other at a ski resort in Montana, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2025
The meeting, unplanned, was not extensive or in-depth and did not include Brady “hosting” or “recruiting” Stafford, despite reports saying otherwise. pic.twitter.com/eUucyxzxsW
Regardless of how planned or unplanned this was, the reality is clear: Brady and the Raiders want Stafford. The Giants, on the other hand, have also been in talks with Stafford’s camp, looking to bring in the veteran QB to stabilize their offense. And with both teams aggressively pursuing him, the Rams now have the leverage to drive up their asking price.
For general manager Joe Schoen and the Giants, this is exactly what they didn’t want. If the Raiders (and Brady) are as serious as reports suggest, Stafford’s price tag is only going to climb. And given that he’s already seeking a new deal north of $50 million per year, this could turn into an all-out bidding war.
From a football perspective, Stafford landing in Vegas would stink for the Giants, who need a veteran quarterback just as badly—if not more—than the Raiders do. With no quarterbacks under contract, Schoen has made it clear he plans to bring in an experienced QB. Whether that’s Stafford, Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, or someone else remains to be seen, but one thing is obvious: they can’t afford to miss.
As for Brady, well, this just proves that even in retirement, he’s still doing everything he can to make sure the Giants don’t come out on top. Two Super Bowl losses weren’t enough—now he’s making ski trips to Montana to keep them from getting their guy. Classic. Maybe Schoen has a pair of skis he can accidentally run into Stafford in the Swiss Alps or something.