Tom Brady officially arrived at the Bucs team facility yesterday, signaling the beginning of a new chapter in the Hall of Famer’s career.
Brady, who will turn 43 years old next month, is on a mission to prove that he can win big without Bill Belichick. But he’ll have his work cut out for him as he tries to guide the Bucs back to the postseason for the first time since 2007.
Fortunately, Brady will have his old pal Rob Gronkowski right by his side this season. The Buccaneers swung a trade for the retired tight end the week of the NFL draft, adding another a major piece to an already stacked offense. And for those who may think trading for Gronk was just icing on the cake for the Bucs, the truth is that the All-Pro tight end has been a crucial part of Brady’s success in the second half of his career.
Here’s a reminder of how much Brady struggled in 2019 without Gronk on the field.
Rob Gronkowski comes out of retirement to join Tom Brady and the @Buccaneers.
Without Gronkowski last season, Brady completed fewer than 10 passes when targeting tight ends 10+ yards downfield (8). In 2018, Brady completed almost 3x as many passes to Gronkowski alone (22). https://t.co/mrzO0gCMQw pic.twitter.com/iml1obUEQK
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 21, 2020
Brady should see these numbers go up in 2020. Not only will he have Gronk to target, but also O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate.
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