The Tampa Bay Buccaneers landed future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady this offseason, luring the six-time Super Bowl champion away from the New England Patriots and south to the Sunshine State.
While the Bucs came out big winners this time around in the quarterback market, there was a time not too long ago when they came out on the losing end of a trade that would’ve gotten them Brett Favre from the Green Bay Packers. Instead, the Packers sent Favre to the New York Jets in 2008, where he spent one forgettable season before joining the Minnesota Vikings for the final two years of his career.
And, looking at Favre’s two-year stint with the Vikes, it’s easy to see how Brady’s career with the Bucs could follow the same path. Favre turned 40 during his first season with the Vikings in 2009, whereas Brady will be 43 when he starts his Bucs career. But Favre played like a 25-year-old that year, looking like a quarterback reborn in an offense that featured the league’s most dangerous running back in Adrian Peterson. Favre’s stellar season resulted in 4,202 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and a career-low seven interceptions. He led Minnesota to a 12-4 record and a trip to the NFC Championship Game, where they fell to the New Orleans Saints in overtime.
Before the 2010 season began, Favre announced it would be his final season in the NFL, and the rush and excitement that surrounded the Vikings in Year 1 of the Favre era seemed all but gone in Year 2. Favre saw suffered a shoulder injury during the season, which led to the end of his consecutive-starts streak, and was knocked out during a game against the Chicago Bears in what would ultimately be his final game in the NFL. For the year, Favre went just 5-8, throwing 11 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. In the end, Favre’s body showed its age.
To Brady’s credit, he goes to extreme lengths to make sure his body is in top-form each season, and so far, he’s been able to beat Father Time. But as they say, Father Time is undefeated, and even Brady can’t avoid that truth. 2020 may very well be the best shot for this Bucs team to win a Super Bowl. The excitement and energy is there. Their destiny is in their hands. And, they’ll have more confidence in Brady this year than they will next year when he’s approaching 44 and on the final year of his deal.
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