Tom Brady in Tampa Bay? It’s Not as Weird as It Sounds

Brady may be entering a favorable situation, surrounded by shrewd coaches, loads of offensive skill, a stout defense (and no state income tax).

But he is still venturing into an uncertain stage, with no assurance that he will play well next season, when he will be 43. The Buccaneers’ schedule is full of enticing matchups, with Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan all slated to visit (pencil in at least two of those for Sunday or Monday night).

This is all new, with no blueprint for how this next phase of his career unfolds, no analogue for a 42-year-old quarterbacking legend who leaves to become another team’s starter.

Brady grew up in Northern California rooting for the San Francisco 49ers and Joe Montana, who played his final two seasons in Kansas City and revived its fan base, leading the Chiefs to an A.F.C. championship game but not beyond that. From Johnny Unitas to Brett Favre, Joe Namath to Peyton Manning, so many great quarterbacks have finished their careers in unfamiliar uniforms, enjoying varying degrees of success. None were as old as Brady is now.

All around Brady, contemporaries are either assessing their football mortality, like Brees and Philip Rivers, or retiring, as did Brady’s primary Super Bowl tormentor, Eli Manning. According to Pro Football Reference’s play index, only six other quarterbacks have attempted even one pass after turning 42. Combined, those quarterbacks — George Blanda, Steve DeBerg, Doug Flutie, Warren Moon, Earl Morrall and Vinny Testaverde — threw for 29 touchdown passes at 42 or older. Brady threw 24 last season. Only Moon, in 1998 with Seattle, tossed as many as 11.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/sports/football/tom-brady-tampa-bay-buccaneers.html