Never write off the chances of Tom Brady picking up his eighth Super Bowl ring. Never-give-up Tom Brady is the reason why.
Tom Brady started his professional career with the New England Patriots, and many thought he would end his career there, too. But after 20 long years serving as their quarterback–a tenure in which he helped lead the team to nine Super Bowls, winning six–he shocked fans by announcing he would be joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a two-year deal. Brady wanted a new challenge, and nothing could be done to keep him in New England.
Courtesy CBS Boston
Thankful, though, were Patriots fans and the people of New England for all he had done. Advertising boards were put up throughout the state thanking him for his service.
People questioned the move, though, and whether Brady, now in his 40s, could still bring anything to the table. But the Buccaneers head coach, Bruce Arians, knew that Brady could bring qualities on-the field and -off, to turn his team into winners. That would be TB’s assignment in TB.
Arians put so much faith in Brady that when Brady asked Rob Gronkowski to come out of retirement and for Arians to sign him, Arians did just that. And the faith paid dividends. Against early-season odds to make the playoffs and win the Super Bowl, Tampa Bay did both.
It was a record number seven for Brady, and the Buccaneers second in their history, their first coming way back in 2002.
It wasn’t down to a lucky run either because they had some challenging games on their way to the Super Bowl. The most formidable opponent came in the final versus the reigning champions Kansas City Chiefs, a team boasting one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, Patrick Mahomes. But on that day, the Buccaneers defense was in fine form, and the team gave Bucs fans a day they’ll never forget.
Courtesy Mercury News
But could Brady win it all again this season? The short answer–as we now know–is no.
The Bucs were among the favorites going into the 2021-22 season, along with the Chiefs, the team they beat to win the title in 2021. The campaign went well f0r the Buccaneers; they finished the regular season by topping the National Football Conference South Division (something they didn’t do last year) and secured a high seed in the playoffs.
Things got off well, too, paired against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round. Brady led the Buccaneers to a 31-15 win (albeit not without controversy), advancing the team to the NFL Divisional Round.
But the Divisional Round brought a much more challenging opponent, the Los Angeles Rams. With seconds on the clock left, and the game tied at 27-27, all the Bucs had to do was hold off the Rams and take the game to overtime. But the Rams made their way down the field–and with seconds left–kicked a field goal to seal the win.
Courtesy Code List
The loss ended their dreams of back-to-back titles. For Tom Brady, it meant he wouldn’t collect his record eighth Super Bowl ring–at least not this year.
Now the NFL Championship will go to another team–the Chiefs (13/10), Bengals (9/1), Rams (11/5), or 49ers (5/1). And for those interested in placing a wager on the games, NFL betting sites have the odds for all the games left this season.
But it isn’t going to be a walk in the park for the two favorites in the Chiefs and the Rams, not with the Bengals and the 49ers having sprung huge upsets. The Bengals beat one of the top favorites, the Tennessee Titans, while the 49ers shocked the world when they took out the Green Bay Packers in incredible fashion.
But let’s get back to Brady.
As mentioned earlier, Tom Brady signed a two-year deal with the Buccaneers, and that contract will expire before next season begins. But at the age of 44, how many more seasons does this record-breaker have left in him?
Courtesy: Sports Illustrated
He showed his qualities once again this season, but whether Brady will stick around with the Bucs is yet to be determined. Brady certainly gave the Buccaneers a boost and he might do the same thing elsewhere. Just his experience alone is worth it. f you are a team like, say, the Jacksonville Jaguars with hot prospect Trevor Lawrence, having Brady as a mentor could do wonders to accelerate Lawrence’s career development.
Never write off the chances of Tom Brady picking up his eighth Super Bowl ring. Whether he stays with Tampa or goes elsewhere, Brady seems destined to elevate a team. Never-give-up Tom Brady is the reason why.
