Don’t think Tom Brady isn’t keeping a watchful eye on his former coaches and teammates with the New England Patriots. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback was quick to give a shout-out to Patriots All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore for being one of four players to earn a 99 rating in the upcoming “Madden 21” video game.
“Lock em up Steph!!! 💯,” Brady posted.
That line of thinking might change if the two somehow managed to meet on the football field.
It would make for quite the compelling story to see Brady and his new offense going head-to-head with Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s defense, spearheaded by Gilmore.
Brady was rated 99 in “Madden 19,” but the 42-year-old legend has dropped to 90 overall in the newest version of the game, putting him behind Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson and Drew Brees. Even with six Super Bowl rings and four Super Bowl MVPs on his mantle, you can rest assured Brady will use this for motivation.
But he’s also fortunate not to be matching wits with a ferocious Patriots secondary that knows him better than any other team.
For all of the talk surrounding the ongoing quarterback situation for the Patriots, there is no questioning that Gilmore is the heart and soul of the defense. NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner even went as far as comparing his overall approach to the game as Deion Sanders-like.
Gilmore could be well on his way to wearing a green jacket himself, following a season where he was awarded NFL Defensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-Pro honors for a second consecutive season.
He leads a defense that no team, much less Brady, wants to see in 2020.