Despite being the best to ever play the game, Tom Brady’s future in the NFL is shakier than it ever has been through his 23 year career. Last offseason, it was announced that he was going to retire after the Buccaneers playoff defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, however, as we know now, the report was false and regardless of the consequences, Tom would go on to suit up for the 2022 season. With there not being much competition in the NFC South, many believed that the Bucaneers would have a cake walk to the playoffs, and would be well suited for one last Super Bowl run.
2022 Letdown Year With Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Although Tampa Bay came into the year with high expectations, they fell well short of them. They entered the season not on the same page and they were never able to get things going. Ever since their Super Bowl victory in 2020 against the Kansas City Chiefs, it appeared as if some of the Bucaneers veterans checked out after their ring. They finished the regular season with a rough record of 8-9. However, despite not being able to finish the regular season above a record of .500, they were still able to win the NFC South and clinch the fourth seed in the NFC. In their playoff matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, the Bucaneers were exposed in an embarrassing 31-14 loss.
With Brady going through a divorce through this season and many speculating that the cause of the split was him not reitirng last season, it would not make much sense for him to retire now. He is still playing at a high level, finishing the season throwing for 4694 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions on a competition percentage of 66.8%. While this was still a step back from his 2021 campaign, Brady is still a player that most teams would love to have as their starting option.
What is Left For Tom?
Brady is at a point of his career that he is not interested playing for a team that is not contending for a Super Bowl. The only problem with this is that most Super Bowl caliber rosters already have their franchise quarterback on the roster. However, after this season, it should be clear that Brady is well on his way out of Tampa Bay. Some teams to keep an eye on would be the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, or even the New England Patriots. Another long ball option would be the team that lands Sean Peyton. Last offseason, it came out that Brady and Peyton had colluded with the Miami Dolphins to plan their arrival before permitted by the NFL.
The final probable option for Brady’s future is that he does finally decide to hang up his cleats. While he still has a couple more quality years left in him, Brady is a player that has nothing left to prove. He could have retired before he even joined Tampa Bay, and many would still think of him as the greatest to ever play.
