Buccaneers' Tom Brady kicking off what is expected to be his final season in the NFL, per report
Sun, Sep 11, 2022
NFL News (AP)
For a minute there, it looked like the clock had struck midnight on Tom Brady's NFL career. Earlier this offseason, the seven-time Super Bowl champion did announce his retirement, but and decided to keep the show rolling like Jordan Belfort at the end of "The Wolf of Wall Street" just a few weeks later. While that brief dance with retirement lasted just 40 days over the spring, the true end date seems to be on the horizon.'
When the Buccaneers kick off against the Cowboys in Week 1 on Sunday, it will mark what is expected to be the final year of Brady's career, according to the NFL Network. The quarterback turned 45 back on Aug. 3 and that has long been the target age for Brady whenever he has been asked how long he'd like to play until. So, he'd be right on the mark if this is, in fact, his last go around. However, the report did throw out the caveat emotions are still fluid and a final decision could come down to who is holding a trophy by the end of the season.'
"I think we're all getting one day older at a time," Brady told reporters this week when asked if this was his final season. "We're all not sure whether we're going to be here next year or not, that's the reality for every player, every coach, every parent. You just never know. We should all take advantage of the opportunity that we have."
Brady will be an unrestricted free agent for just the second time in his career this coming offseason, but when asked if he'd consider playing for another team, a source emphasized to the NFL Network Brady's affection towards the Bucs organization. Earlier this offseason, the Miami Dolphins were punished for impermissible contact they made to Brady on multiple occasions while he was under contract with the Patriots and Buccaneers. '
Upon his return from his initial retirement, Brady did go through one of the more abnormal summers of his career. He took an 11-day hiatus in the middle of training camp, which the Buccaneers said was excused and his absence was labeled as "personal reason." The NFL Network reports that Brady spent the bulk of that time away from the team in the Bahamas at a private resort with his family, fulfilling a mid-retirement promise that he would vacation with them in August for the first time in two decades. During that break, the Buccaneers were said to have left Brady fully alone, never sending playbooks or having football conversations.'
Following the hiatus, Brady made his preseason debut against the Colts and completed 6-of-8 for 44 yards. Tampa Bay enters the first Sunday of the season with the second-best odds to win Super Bowl LVII this season, only looking up to the Buffalo Bills. So, there is a chance that Brady rides off into the sunset with an eighth Lombardi Trophy.
Whenever he does decide to hang it up, Brady has his post-career plans already situation as he signed a to become the lead analyst for FOX Sports.'
