NFL Rumors: Tom Brady Wants Shedeur Sanders’ Benching in Rookie Season as Geno Smith Confirms Relations With Pete Carroll

Before Tom Brady became the greatest quarterback in NFL history, he sat behind Drew Bledsoe. Patrick Mahomes spent a year watching Alex Smith. Aaron Rodgers learned under Brett Favre. These quarterbacks, each with their own unique journey, shared one thing in common: they were given the time to develop, refine their craft, and adjust to the NFL’s demands before they took the reins of their respective teams.

Shedeur Sanders is at a similar crossroads. While the comparison to Mahomes, Brady, and Rodgers might seem lofty, it underscores the reality of quarterback development: raw talent is only one piece of the puzzle. Even with elite arm strength, mobility, and football IQ, Sanders’ journey to NFL stardom will be shaped as much by the time he spends off the field as the time he spends on it. The question for Sanders isn’t whether he has the tools to succeed — it’s how quickly he can bridge the gap between college and the NFL, a leap that can often take years for even the most gifted quarterbacks.

That’s where Tom Brady’s approach to quarterback development is particularly relevant. Now a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, Brady has subtly emerged as an advocate for giving young quarterbacks time to marinate behind established starters. Charles Robinson of Yahoo claims that Brady has gushed to several NFL coaches and executives about Shedeur’s accuracy, toughness, readiness, and capacity for handling the spotlight. Not to mention, Brady believes in the long term. He credits his own five-year college development path as key to his success, something Sanders mirrors with 49 games across Jackson State and Colorado. Brady isn’t just watching Sanders. He sees himself in him.

But this mentorship goes beyond sentimentality. Brady has a plan, according to NFL Rumours on X, and it doesn’t entail Shedeur walking into Vegas and immediately grabbing the keys to the Death Star. The post read: “NFL DRAFT: #Raiders Owner Tom Brady likes the idea of rookie quarterbacks sitting and soaking it all in during the player’s rookie season. Brady is close to Shedeur Sanders and one of the team’s Sanders as listed as his top destination.” Translation? Shedeur will be riding shotgun in Year 1 if he ends up in Vegas.

Shedeur doesn’t exactly come into this league without baggage. The whispers at the NFL Combine were vicious. Insider Josina Anderson reported that a quarterbacks coach described Sanders as “brash” and “arrogant.” Andre Cisco of the Jets even criticised his throwing technique, pointing out his “ball-patting” as if it were a crime. But Robert Griffin III wasn’t having it. Reminding everyone that Brady did the same ball-pat thing. And that went smoothly the last time we checked. Shedeur was even supported by quarterback coach Yale Vannoy and Darius Slayton, who described the behaviour as a timing mechanism rather than a problem. The point is that Sanders is just misunderstood.

And misunderstood or not, the dude can ball. At Colorado, he threw for over 3,200 yards, 37 touchdowns, and completed 75% of his passes. That’s not just solid. That’s, we’d be hyping this guy if his last name wasn’t Sanders, good. Then came his Pro Day: 62 of 67 completions, including some lasers on the move that had scouts adjusting their sunglasses.

Why sit him, then? Because Brady sees things that others do not. Sitting doesn’t mean doubting. Sitting means sculpting. It’s like the Chiefs didn’t rush Mahomes—and they ended up with a generational flamethrower. Shedeur isn’t a Day 1 starter in Brady’s opinion. He’s a Day 500 phenom. And who better to keep the pocket warm than a veteran who’s been in the trenches?

And while Brady’s planning for the long haul, the Raiders have already locked in a leader who’s just ready to start.

While Tom Brady plays the long game, Geno brings day-one loyalty to Vegas

Let’s move ahead to the Henderson press room, where Geno Smith, who had just been announced as the Raiders’ new quarterback, took the mic and said, “When people think about my story, Coach Carroll was a big part of that… I’ll run through a wall for him, and he knows that.” Pete Carroll is more than just someone Geno likes. Carroll was the architect of Geno’s comeback. The coach who helped him reinvent a career that most others had written off into a story of redemption. And now, that same loyalty has made the jump to Las Vegas.

The Raiders didn’t just trade for a quarterback. They traded for a reunion. One built on belief, battle scars, and second chances. Geno spent the last five seasons with the Seahawks, but it was that first full year as a starter, leading Seattle to the playoffs. “Remarkable illustration of believing in yourself,” Carroll told NFL Films. “Geno never gave up on himself.” And Carroll didn’t either.

Geno wasn’t shy about returning the praise. “He’s given me that self-confidence… a new lease on life,” Smith said. For years, the NFL had put him in the “meh” category—good enough to back up, not enough to lead. Carroll changed that narrative, not just by giving Geno the keys but also by rewiring how Geno talked to himself. Not as a placeholder. But as a starter. “I just know who I am as a player,” Geno added. “Maybe no one else saw it… but that didn’t bother me.” That quiet defiance—that internal steadiness—is what Carroll cultivated. And it’s what the Raiders are banking on now.

And this is where it all comes together: the Brady plan is unlocked by Geno’s arrival. With a vet like him holding the reins, Brady can afford to let Shedeur slow-cook behind the scenes. Geno’s been doubted, benched, and written off — sound familiar? He’s the perfect mentor. The ideal firewall, bridge, and quarterback who found salvation through patience is now paying it forward to a rookie being asked to do the same, which is almost poetic. This kind of alignment—front office, coaching, quarterback, and ownership all on the same page—has been desperately needed in Vegas.