The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were stunned by the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, and Tom Brady has been told to retire for good as a result.
The Panthers were almost written off ahead of kick-off on Sunday after trading Christian McAffrey to the San Francisco 49ers, with the organisation essentially hitting the rest button to prepare for years to come. But despite being massive underdogs, they beat the Buccaneers 21-3, in one of the darker days of Brady's career.
The Buccaneers made a winning start to the season as they went into week three with a 2-0 record, but it's since deteriorated as they've lost four of the five games that have followed. Brady hasn't looked like himself, and he's been told to finally retire from the game.
The shocking result down in Carolina has been the main talking point following a dramatic Sunday of NFL action, with many debating if not only are the Buccaneers finished, but if Brady has come to the end. The quarterback announced his retirement in the summer, but changed his mind after 11 days and decided to return.
And it looked like initially being a great decision, as the side that won the Super Bowl in 2021 looked ready to challenge again. The Buccaneers still sit top of the NFC South, but look a shadow of their former selves.
It may be a dry spell, similar to the one that Aaron Rodgers is currently facing with the Green Bay Packers. But Stephen Smith feels as though it's time for Brady to retire for good, as he can tell that his moment has come.
Smith said on ESPN's First Take : "Tampa Bay looks awful, on both sides of the ball. Tom Brady looks like a shell of himself, and I'll tell you this much, here's what's done - Tom Brady after this season.
"This is it. You talk about that moment where you look at a guy and realise that moment has arrived, even if they turn it around. You look at that guy and you said 'you did it, this should be it. No more after this season'.
"Go to that television board and collect the millions of dollars that are waiting for you because you don't need to be out here anymore." Broadcasters would battle it out to have Brady on board, and his time involved in the game certainly hasn't come to an end.
But Smith thinks his time on the field is over, and it's time to focus on his post-career instead. It's not going to get any easier for the Buccaneers either as they next face the Baltimore Ravens before taking on Super Bowl champions LA Rams.
Luckily for the Buccaneers they remain top of the NFC South, with the other sides in their division also under performing this season. But if they're not careful, they could see their play-off hopes disappear, and that would truly be a disaster.
