Whenever they finally retire from the NFL, it’ll be hard to argue with the resumes of Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. The future Hall of Famers are two of the best ever to play quarterback and will be remembered accordingly for their play. Case closed.
Okay. (Takes a deep breath.) With that customary, fine-print disclaimer out of the way, I’m starting to wonder why the 45-year-old Brady and 38-year-old Rodgers bothered to come back for 2022. Because if this is how they will play this season — and if this is how the 3-4 Buccaneers and 3-4 Packers will suffer after crushing respective losses on Sunday — it’s hard to imagine what these two gentlemen are getting out of this fall.
(Note: Let’s not forget that Brady, with nothing else to accomplish, actually had a foot out the door!)
While there are circumstances out of their control, like team injuries, through seven games of Tampa Bay’s and Green Bay’s seasons, Brady and Rodgers look like shells of themselves. It’s not often you see these two living legends struggle to lead offenses to 20 points a game, but that’s where we are right now. And after Sunday’s (and Monday’s) action is finalized and counted, both Brady’s and Rodgers’ offenses will actually be considerably below 20 points scored per game.
Honestly, when was the last time you saw Brady and Rodgers-led attacks look this listless? If ever?
The Buccaneers scored three (3!) points on the Panthers. The Panthers (as an organization, anyway) don’t even actually want to win anymore! I don’t care how unhealthy you are as an offense — if you have a First-Ballot Hall of Famer throwing passes, you can’t be putting up single-digit points against a team that wants the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. I’m sorry, but the mantra of “any given Sunday” does not ring true in every single instance.
It’s no wonder Brady is arguably the worst season of his career after one of the worst Sundays of his career.
With his Week 7 loss to the Panthers, Tom Brady has a losing record through his first 7 games of a season for the first time since 2002 — his first full season as an NFL starting QB and the only healthy season of his career in which he did not make the playoffs.
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) October 23, 2022
On the flip side, the Commanders are notorious for pulling defeat out of the jaws of victory. How does Rodgers, after all these years, have no answer for the kind of team he usually beats up on without fail? The Commanders have no business hanging around any game with a halfway decent squad. And it should be utterly humiliating for Rodgers that the Packers didn’t record one legitimate (non-penalty) third-down conversion against them.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers lose to the Commanders, falling to 3-4 on the season.
The Packers went without a 3rd down conversion for the 1st time since 1999 Week 6 at Denver. pic.twitter.com/0XtKGT5T5E
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 23, 2022
That’s the giant elephant in the room for two living NFL legends — neither of Brady’s or Rodgers’ teams resembles anything competent at the moment. And they’re both huge parts of the problem at their advanced ages (for professional quarterbacks).
In retrospect, I do have good news.
If you enjoyed watching the seeming demise of two football players who have tormented your favorite team — and really everyone around the league for years — then Sunday might have been your jam. Revel in it. At this rate, I think you’ll be quite pleased watching Brady and Rodgers slowly sink into a quicksand of their own making for the rest of the year.
Oh, right, and the bad news? That’s purely for Brady and Rodgers. Fellas, I don’t think your current situations will improve much. The NFC is already pretty awful all around in terms of general quality, and you’re still struggling to stay afloat in it. I would take that as an ominous sign and advise that you learn to quit while you’re ahead.
Or, in this case, learn how to quit in the first place.
