Tom Brady doesn’t throw around compliments lightly, especially when it comes to quarterbacks. So when the current Las Vegas Raiders minority owner went on FOX and made a bold declaration about a college signal-caller, people listened. The praise was glowing, the comparison was historic, and the timing was interesting, to say the least. 

Brady’s comments came during a stretch where the Raiders have been searching for answers at the quarterback position. And the player he singled out happens to have a very unique connection to the future Hall of Famer.

“CJ Carr looks like the best quarterback I have seen at the college level since Joe [Burrow] was at LSU,” Brady said on FOX. “He knows the game, and he can make every throw necessary.” That’s Brady putting Notre Dame’s redshirt freshman in the same breath as Joe Burrow, who went on to win a national championship, a Heisman Trophy, and become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

CJ Carr is only in his first year as a starter for the Fighting Irish, but through nine games, he’s thrown for 2275 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. He’s completed 67.6% of his passes and has Notre Dame sitting at 7-2, firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation. Against Arkansas, Carr threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns in just his fourth career start, announcing his arrival on the national stage.​​

But here’s where it gets interesting. CJ Carr isn’t just some random quarterback Tom Brady happened to catch on tape. Carr is the grandson of Lloyd Carr, the legendary Michigan head coach who recruited and coached Tom Brady during his time at the University of Michigan. Lloyd Carr was Brady’s head coach at Michigan, and the two have maintained a close relationship over the years. 

Brady even helped Michigan land five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood this past recruiting cycle, showing he’s still deeply invested in the program. So when Brady talks about CJ Carr, he’s watching the grandson of a man who believed in him when nobody else did. Lloyd Carr famously chose Brady over other quarterbacks and stood by him even when fans and the media questioned the decision. Now, decades later, Brady is returning the favor by publicly endorsing Lloyd Carr’s grandson as a future NFL star.​

The timing of Brady’s comments is also worth noting. The Las Vegas Raiders are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback. And Geno Smith has not been the answer. Smith, who turns 35 this season, leads the NFL with 12 interceptions through nine games and has posted a dismal 34.7 QBR, ranking 30th among qualified quarterbacks. 

The Raiders are 2-7 in the AFC West and have struggled mightily on offense, with Smith throwing multiple interceptions in several games, including a brutal three-pick performance against the Chargers in Week 2. Head coach Pete Carroll was brought in to turn the franchise around, and part of that plan includes finding a long-term solution at quarterback. 

The Raiders passed on drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. They instead selected Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick. But with Smith’s struggles mounting, the 2027 NFL Draft could be the year Las Vegas finally addresses the position.​ 

By the time Carr is eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft, he’ll have two full seasons as Notre Dame’s starter under his belt. And if Geno Smith continues to struggle, that eye might turn into a draft card with CJ Carr’s name on it.​

A Midwest kid built for football weather

The weather at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday night was downright miserable. IIt started as a steady rain that eventually turned into a wintry mix as temperatures dropped from 41 degrees at kickoff to the 30s by the second half. For CJ Carr, the redshirt freshman quarterback from Saline, Michigan, the weather was perfect for football. “I love it,” Carr said after Notre Dame’s 49-10 demolition of Navy. “Being from Michigan, I played in the rain and the snow. You’d rather play in the sunshine, but I can handle it.”

Carr, whose father, Jason, played quarterback at Michigan, has spent his entire life preparing for nights like this, cold, wet, and brutal conditions that separate Midwest kids from their Southern counterparts. “I talk about this with my dad a lot,” Carr explained. “When you see a Southern quarterback on the other side, it’s almost like, ‘I can take him. I’m better than him’.”

That confidence wasn’t directed at Navy’s backup quarterback Braxton Woodson, who filled in for the injured Blake Horvath, but it speaks to Carr’s mentality when the elements turn nasty.​ Now riding a seven-game winning streak and sitting at 7-2 as Notre Dame’s starter, Carr has the Irish firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation.