TAMPA, Fla. — If every good fairy tale begins this way, then let us start with this exact moment two years ago. Once Upon a Time …
A football coach began his press briefing at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. Bruce Arians talked about the uncertainty of Jameis Winston’s future before being asked the type of free-agent quarterback he might pick up the phone to call.
“Tom Brady,” he said, and a new era in Tampa Bay history instantly kicked off.
It was hardly surprising that the Bucs were interested in Brady, but it was mind-blowing to think the most successful quarterback in NFL history might consider coming to a comedy store of a franchise.
The Bucs had gone 17 seasons without a playoff victory and had 11 different quarterbacks get 10 starts or more in the years since Brady had entered the league.
That made Brady’s eventual decision to choose the Bucs instead of the Raiders, Chargers or Colts the loudest affirmation possible that Tampa Bay was finally a team on the rise.
So does that mean the opposite is true today?
Should we interpret Brady’s decision to retire as a clue that he now sees the Bucs, and their bushel of free agents, as a team on the decline? Did a window also close when he walked out the door?
It’s certainly worth pondering, given recent developments. Brady’s almost-immediate waffling about “never say never” and the persistent chatter about a possible interest in San Francisco makes you wonder if his retirement was more tied to Tampa Bay’s roster complications than we realized.
In a way, it almost mirrors his departure from New England. The Patriots went 11-5 and won a Super Bowl in 2018 before age and salary-cap restrictions began to hamper the offense in 2019. Brady got out of town a year before a full revamp that led to New England’s first losing season since 2000.
The Bucs, similarly, went 11-5 and won the Super Bowl with Brady in 2020 before injuries and the Antonio Brown fiasco led to a premature end in 2021. And while Tampa Bay is in better shape than the Patriots were when Brady left, there are going to be holes to fill on both sides of the ball.
Brady certainly did not choose to retire because his effectiveness was waning. This past season was only the second time in his career that he led the NFL in both passing yards and touchdowns, and it was the first time he had finished in the top two of the MVP voting since 2017. If he wants to play in 2022, there’s a pretty good chance he will still be among the league’s elite quarterbacks.
And, based on Arians’ full-throated denial of an unsourced Twitter report, Brady did not leave because of any rift with the Bucs’ coaching staff.
So what does that leave?
Brady has talked about wanting to spend more time with his family, and that was obviously a consideration.
But is it possible that he also wanted to make sure he walked away as a winner? Because, from what we’ve come to know about Brady, his obsession with winning cannot be measured. He seemed less interested — and even aware — of his passing numbers than the bottom line.
Brady spent 20 years as a starter in the NFL and never had a losing season. His average record during those two decades was 12-4.
That’s a legacy unlike any other. Wayne Gretzky? It took Edmonton a while to get going when he arrived, and there were some lean years in Los Angeles. Michael Jordan? LeBron James? They each had seasons end without glory. Barry Bonds had more MVP awards (7) than postseason appearances (6).
Brady, on the other hand, was the ultimate champion. Half of his 20 seasons as a starter ended in a Super Bowl, and he won seven of those.
So was the idea that he had more to lose than to gain in 2022 a major consideration in his retirement announcement? And was the knowledge that Chris Godwin, Leonard Fournette, Rob Gronkowski, Ryan Jensen, Alex Cappa, Ronald Jones, Carlton Davis, Jordan Whitehead, Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul and William Gholston are on the open market a worry for a quarterback who leaves nothing to chance?
Tampa Bay was the beneficiary of having the right roster and the right head coach at the right moment when Brady was ready to leave New England two years ago.
After all, no one was better than Brady when it came time to knowing what it takes to win.
And, if you think of it that way, Bucs fans should be worried this morning.
