Tom Brady will not contest another Super Bowl run this season after he and the Buccaneers practically crawled to the finish line in a 31-14 loss to the Cowboys on Monday night. The loss was the second most lopsided in Brady’s 23-year career as an NFL quarterback and marked only the fourth time the longtime Patriots star has walked in and out of the tournament. What now?
Brady, 45, was predictably noncommittal about his plans after Monday’s loss, telling reporters he’s “really going to take it one day at a time”. But what are his actual options? What is the most likely outcome for the seemingly timeless signal caller? And if he somehow comes back for a team other than the Bucs, what are the best spots to land?
Here is an overview:
Will Tom Brady retire?
Perhaps. But probably not. ESPN’s Joe Buck said on Monday’s post-game show that “people in the league think” Brady will return for a 24th season in 2023, but also hinted that Brady himself doesn’t know his plans. It sounds eerily similar to last offseason, when the QB flirted with retiring, then officially hung up, only to return less than two months later. As Buck and Troy Aikman noted, the reality is that if Brady has come this far, he probably has enough love to continue the game.
What will Brady do when he retires?
We know this. Last May, months after his abrupt return from “retirement,” Brady reportedly inked a record 10-year $375 million deal with Fox Sports to become the network’s lead analyst for NFL broadcasts once he finished playing.
What if he decides to come back?
Then the NFL is probably better off. Decline or not, Brady remains an anomaly of the sport – and sport in general – and even in a weak year has proven few are quite as capable of developing unlikely exploits. However, his contract with the Buccaneers expires in March, meaning he will face free agency for the second time in his career and since 2020.
Could he return to the Buccaneers?
Yes, but it feels unlikely. Brady has a documented affinity for team greats, particularly the Glazer family, who own the franchise and helped recruit him from New England in 2020. Life in sunny Tampa, Florida is probably more comfortable than many NFL cities at this point in his career. And he has a brief but important legacy as a Buccaneer, instantly correcting an era of team irrelevance by winning everything in his debut MVP season. However, the Bucs were a different beast in 2022: With Todd Bowles replacing Bruce Arians as head coach, injuries decimating an aging lineup, and uninspired efforts from both staff and supporting cast, Brady sank to unusually careless lows in his first losing season in his career as a career starter. Aside from the fact that he also went through a high-profile divorce upon his return to the team this year, Brady reportedly had a possible split after the 2021 season, perhaps as it emerged the Bucs were headed for an inevitable restructuring.
If he doesn’t return to Tampa, where will he go?
That’s the million dollar question! Here’s our educated guess at the most logical landing spots for Brady should he decide to play at least one more season and go to the open market, as he did for the first time in 20 years with the Patriots: