The Future of the GOAT: Tom Brady defies Father Time as he plans to continue playing in the 2021-2022 season
When was the last time the NFL had a 43-year-old quarterback leading a team to an 11-5 record heading into the playoffs as a Super Bowl favorite? Of course, no one except for the living legend, Tom Brady. During his long tenure with the Patriots, Brady built up a career like no other: collecting six super bowls wins, three MVPs, four Super Bowl MVPs, and many other accomplishments. However, listing all of the great statistics and accolades that he has garnered over the years does not remotely describe Brady’s greatness. Brady’s leadership and discipline have made him one of the most impactful players in sports, and he has brought these intangible qualities to his new team, the Buccaneers.
Brady’s two-year 50 million dollar contract for the Buccaneers caused many to question the nearness of his retirement. With a completely new coaching system and team, analysts and fans were worried that Brady would become an average-level quarterback because Belichick was no longer by his side. Throughout Brady’s stint on the Patriots, critics credited Belichick for the Patriots’ success. Nevertheless, after a regular season of 4633 yards and 40 touchdowns, Tom Brady proved he could still perform at an MVP-caliber level. On the other hand, the Patriots underwhelmingly finished with a mere 7-9 record, which further showed the importance that Brady has on any given team. Still breaking records almost every game, Brady hopes to continue his successful career by opting into playing in the 2021-2022 season.
What will Brady look like next season? The simple answer is that his performances and team will most likely maintain the same level of dominance or higher. With a breadth of weapons with Godwin, Evans, Brown, Gronkowski, Brady has no reason to leave behind such a talented core of offensive players. With a top-six defense and a top-three scoring offense in the league, the Bucs should continue to be a premier team that the rest of the NFL can only hope to challenge.
However, many still doubt Brady and the success of his team. With losses to the Chiefs, Rams, Saints (twice), and the Bears, viewers have wanted to write them off because of their lack of resilience against big playoff teams. Once again, Brady debunked some of these issues by beating the Washington Football Team and the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs with great performances on his part. Others still question whether Brady can keep up this miraculous playoff push due to Bucs' at times inconsistent defense and Brady's lack of mobility. Furthermore, several star players such as Chis Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Shaquil Barrett are free agents this upcoming summer, which may cause shifts in the team roster.
Ultimately, Brady will find ways to disprove those who question him and his level of play each year. He has had much worse teams surrounding him, especially during the later few years with the Patriots, yet he has always elevated the players around him to push for a Super Bowl run for almost all of his entire career. While his age may suggest that he is too old for the physically demanding sport, Brady is not stopping the brakes as of yet. Tom Brady can retire whenever he wants, but his passion for the game will keep fans wondering if he will ever stop crushing his opponents for at least another year.
