If Sunday’s performance against the Los Angeles Rams turns out to be the last game that quarterback Tom Brady plays, it would still go down as one of the most outstanding efforts of his career, even though he came up short.
Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers nearly pulled off a stunning comeback on January 23. Instead, the Rams will advance to the Championship game while Brady and the Bucs will go into the offseason with plenty of questions, none so significant as the future of the game’s most important position.
Brady will be 45 when the 2022 season begins, making him the most senior active player this season, but he has a few years to go if he wants to set the record for the oldest quarterback.
That honor goes to George Blanda, who played the position until he was 48 years old, but NFL football was a significantly different game in 1978 than it is now. Players are stronger and faster, and quarterbacks are asked to do much more than simply toss the ball.
Brady has not ruled out a return next season but has also said that the decision does not rest entirely with him. His “biggest supporters” — his wife and three children — will factor heavily in his decision of whether to return for a 23rd season.
“Playing football I get so much joy from. I love it. But not playing football, there’s a lot of joy in that for me also now, too, with my kids getting older and seeing them develop and grow,” Brady said on the “Let’s Go” podcast with Jim Gray. “So all these things need to be considered, and they will be. And, you know, the funny part is always that most guys retire and then move to Florida. I’m already in Florida! So it’s really confusing, even to me.”
Brady is widely regarded as the best quarterback ever to play the game, and his performances over the years have been the stuff of legends.
Brady holds almost every significant record, including most passing yards, most passing touchdowns, most completed passes, and dozens of other records.
One record that he fell just one game short of this season is fourth-quarter comebacks. Had Brady and the Bucs overcome the Rams, Brady would have tied the record set by Peyton Manning at 43.
Tampa Bay was down 27-3 in the third quarter before Brady and the Bucs made a furious late-game rally but fell short of the victory when the Rams hit a field goal as time expired, to win with a score of 30-27.
Brady threw for 329 yards in the game, connecting with receiver Mike Evans for a touchdown, but he also threw an interception in the second quarter.
In his career, Brady has played in 47 playoff games and has a 35-12 record overall. He holds the record for most yards, yards per game, touchdowns, and virtually all other records.
Brady has six Super Bowl victories and has been the MVP in five of those contests. The level of play and necessary attention to the game are factors he is considering as he contemplates the future.
“You know, every year I just have to make sure that I have the ability to commit to what the team really needs,” Brady said. “And that’s really important to me. The team doesn’t deserve anything less than my best. And if I feel like I’m not committed to that, or I can’t play at a championship level, then you gotta give someone else a chance to play.”
