The former Bucs quarterback discussed Tampa Bay’s potential division-clinching hame on his “Let’s Go!” podcast.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a win-and-in game against the Carolina Panthers to end the year with a chance to win the division and go to the playoffs, and their former quarterback will be watching.
Former Bucs quarterback and consensus GOAT [autotag]Tom Brady[/autotag] played for Tampa Bay for three years from 2020-22, delivering a Super Bowl and three playoff berths in that time period. On the Monday iteration of his “Let’s Go!” podcast, Brady not only said that he still watches the Bucs, but that he’ll likely be tuning in to watch them potentially win the NFC South. On top of that, he further praised the team by commending them for what he called a “hell of a season.”
“The Bucs, who I watch a lot, they put together a hell of a season and they’ve got a chance to win the division playing against Carolina,” Brady said about Tampa Bay. “That’s certainly one I’ll be watching.”
This isn’t the first time Brady has sung praises of his former team. Brady had former Bucs tight end Rob Gronkowski on the podcast three weeks ago, and both of them spoke fondly of their time in Tampa Bay and winning a Super Bowl with the Bucs. While Brady was honored as a New England Patriot at the beginning of the 2023 NFL season, he clearly still holds love for his stint in Tampa Bay.
The Bucs will certainly try to ensure their former QB sees a win on Sunday when they face the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte at 1 p.m. EST.
The two NFL legends had a lot of great things to say about their time in Tampa Bay together.
Quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski may have forged most of their Hall-of-Fame legacy with the New England Patriots, but they’ll never be forgotten by Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans — and it doesn’t seem like Brady and Gronkowski will forget their time in Tampa Bay, either.
The two recently appeared together on Brady’s “Let’s Go!” podcast, and both of them reminisced on their brief stint with the Bucs. Both had a lot of kind things to say about the city of Tampa Bay, the organization and the teammates they played with while both were with the Bucs.
Brady spoke on his free agency choice, talking about choosing the Bucs and playing with Gronkowski in red and pewter.
“I got a chance to really look around and say, what locker room do I wanna join,” Brady said. “And when I chose Tampa, you know, I didn’t know that Robbie G was gonna come out of retirement. Of course, I was hopeful, but there was no certainty about it. He was retired for a year and then I called him and he’s like, ‘Tampa, huh?’ And we went down there and we had so much fun.”
Brady also spoke about the organization and the fans in Tampa Bay, stressing how important it was to him that he was accepted by the team, his teammates and Bucs fans.
“I think to be accepted by that organization really meant the world to me, too,” Brady said. “Obviously, I was accepted so much by the Patriots fans and the team and the organization and then when I left there to go to another place and see the way that we were welcome was awesome. And the only thing I wanted to do was give back to them.”
(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Gronkowski reminisced as well. He spoke about how exciting it was to be a part of a new organization and mentioned that while he loved his years in New England, there was a lot to appreciate about his time in Tampa Bay and winning a championship with the Buccaneers.
“In my time of my time, just going down in Tampa, I think it was a perfect fit for myself where I was in my career, what age I was in my career, the location as well in Tampa with my mom being down the street in Fort Myers,” Gronkowski said. “I love the sun, love the beaches as well. And just overall going down there and winning, too. I just feel like it solidified, you know, especially winning a championship, winning a Super Bowl solidified my happiness that I was, what’s the word, like content with my career, happy with my career.”
Brady echoed Gronkowski’s sentiments on winning a championship, saying that he was happy they were able to bring the city and the organization a Super Bowl win after everything they had given to them.
“I thought we rewarded that organization with a championship through a lot of hard work by our teammates,” Brady said. “And we celebrated like no other. That boat parade will go down in history as one of the great parades of all time.”
Tom Brady admits the thought of Bill Belichick no longer coaching the Patriots is hard.
With the New England Patriots sitting at 2-8, there has been speculation as to whether coach Bill Belichick will be on the sideline next season.
Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady admitted the thought of Belichick not coaching in New England is hard for him to grasp. The legendary coach has been a constant on the Patriots sideline for the past 24 seasons.
Belichick is staring down his second losing season in three years. If the season ended today, the Patriots would have the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Belichick has always had a reputation for being a defensive mastermind and has often gotten the most out of his personnel over the years. However, this season in particular has been a struggle, and the Patriots are trying to avoid finishing at the bottom of the standings.
Brady made a case that the approach has not changed for Belichick during an appearance on “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”
“I think he’s an incredible coach. He’s the best coach, in my belief, in the history of the game,” said Brady. “So, I mean, I don’t know, the thought of him not being in New England is hard for me to think about. I think he prepares the team really well. And ultimately, you got to have a lot of people around you to succeed.
“You gotta have a lot of things in place for the organization to be successful. I don’t think he’s probably coaching much different now than when we’re undefeated in 2007. I’m sure he’s preparing the team the same way. The results are different, but again, that’s why the sport is so challenging. There’s a lot of reasons why teams win or lose.”
Tom Brady on Bill Belichick and the current state of the #Patriots (via @stephenasmith Show):
“I think he's an incredible coach. He's the best coach, in my belief, in the history of the game.
So, I mean, I don't know, the thought of him not being in New England is hard for me… pic.twitter.com/9E5Osi9wRh
There are certainly many factors for success in the NFL. Quarterback play is undoubtedly one of them, and the personnel surrounding the quarterback is another big factor.
Sure, there’s enough blame to go around for everybody. The bottom line is the results just haven’t been there. One has to wonder if this will be an offseason of change for the organization.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady appeared on the Stephen A. Smith show on Monday, and he had a lot to say on the state of the game and the NFL.
The former Bucs quarterback was asked about how he sees the NFL now, and he had a very curt answer about it.
“I think there’s a lot of mediocrity in today’s NFL,” Brady said. “I don’t see the excellence that I saw in the past. I think the coaching isn’t as good as it was, I don’t think the development of young players is as good as it was.”
Brady attributed this mostly to how the rules in the NFL have evolved. He said that rules today are too harsh on defensive players and that offensive players have a responsibility to protect themselves, saying that players like Ray Lewis and Ronnie Lott wouldn’t have been able to play in today’s game.
“The rules have allowed a lot of bad habits to get into the actual performance of the game… you hear coaches complaining about their own player being tackled, and not necessarily, why don’t they talk to their player about how to protect themself? We used to work on the fundamentals of those things all the time.”
Brady himself was recently a part of the modern game, ending his career in Tampa Bay in 2022. In his three seasons with the Bucs, Brady threw for 16,655 yards, 123 touchdowns, 38 interceptions with a 65.8% completion percentage. He won his last Super Bowl with the Bucs in 2020, the second in the team’s franchise history.
Tom Brady shared thoughts on the current state of the Patriots.
Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is used to success in his career. After all, he won six Super Bowls with the Patriots and established one of the greatest dynasties in modern football history.
Now, things are a bit different in New England. They have made the playoffs once in the last four seasons, and if the season ended today, they’d have the third overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft.
The winds of change are indeed blowing in New England, and it looks like there will be a rebuild in short order.
Brady discussed New England’s struggles this season and took a measured approach to the concept of wins and losses. He elaborated on his “Let’s Go!” podcast with Jim Gray, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Zack Cox.
“When you look at losing, the whole organization loses, the fan base loses, everyone’s in it together. And it’s hard to get it right. And when you get it right, you should really appreciate it, especially in the NFL, because you’re not in a situation where you’re Floyd Mayweather and you’re just better than everybody every time you take the fight to the ring. You’re not like Tiger Woods, that every time you tee it up you’re better than your opponent.
“The NFL’s tough. Everything’s trying to bring you back to 8-9 or 9-8. It’s hard, and you just gotta appreciate it when you win, and you gotta try to make the corrections when you lose.”
This certainly puts things into perspective, especially when you consider the days of the Patriots in the pre-Tom Brady era.
For example, New England went 6-10 in 1995 and 5-11 in 2000. Bill Parcells did lead them to a Super Bowl appearance, as well as an appearance in the wild card and divisional round playoff games.
To say there was zero success pre-Brady would be ignorant. Nevertheless, the Brady-era level of success was something truly special in modern football.
No one is safe from Tom Brady’s jokes. Not even his longtime teammate, Julian Edelman.
Even in retirement, former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is still active in the sports world.
He had a chance to meet NBA rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama earlier this week, and the picture from that meeting makes you realize how tall Wembanyama really is.
For reference, Wembanyama is 7-foot-4 in comparison to Brady standing at 6-foot-4. The basketball star makes Brady look incredibly short in comparison. Brady shared a photo of the two meeting each other and managed to take a playful shot at Julian Edelman in an Instagram post.
Edelman, in comparison, is extremely short, as he measures at 5-foot-10. Nevertheless, he was one of the Patriots’ most productive weapons during his career.
Here’s what Brady had to say in his hilarious Instagram post.
“Awesome to meet you @wemby. Incredible young man,” Brady posted. “Usually I’d make some joke here about how I think I could get 10 and 10 against you, but let’s be real… you’d send my jumper into the club level 😂😂😂 PS: @edelman11 This is how you felt all those years???”
It’s safe to say the brotherly friendship Brady and Edelman have has not dissolved in retirement. One has to wonder if Edelman will fire back with a jab of his own.
Tom Brady had the perfect response to Peyton Manning’s joke.
Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had the perfect response to some playful banter from Peyton Manning, who recently appeared on “The Pat McAfee show”.
“Does [Tom] fly Delta to get to [his] yacht?” Manning asked. “Is there a direct Delta flight into the Bahamas that can get on the yacht? I was on a Delta flight the other night, I flew back from Hawaii. My flight got cancelled. I was sat in [seat] 36F. Has Tom sat in 36F on a Delta flight?
“They put me in an exit row, which was great with the leg room. But I swear the door was open. It was as cold as I’ve ever been. I’ve played in some cold weather games, right? I’ve been in Green Bay and played in New England.”
Brady responded by making a joke about Manning’s struggles in outdoor games.
Manning historically struggled against the Patriots on the road, as the winter weather played a factor. For instance, Manning threw four interceptions in the 2003 AFC Championship Game, throwing three interceptions to Ty Law and one interception to Rodney Harrison.
Manning would lose to New England twice on the road in the playoffs over the course of his career, as winter conditions gave the quarterback fits.
Brady took a lighthearted shot at Manning and made sure to remind him of his difficulties.
I’m sure the temperature was perfect. Peyton could never handle life outside the dome… 🙄😂 https://t.co/6tfhZp4a0E
Tom Brady comes to the defense of his former coach and team after a 1-4 start
Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has his former coach, Bill Belichick’s back, with the team opening the 2023 season with a 1-4 record.
The results have not been pretty, as the Patriots were most recently shut out 34-0 by the New Orleans Saints. There have been struggles in several areas, including the quarterback position. Mac Jones’ struggles have raised questions as to whether he is the quarterback of the future.
Bill Belichick and his decision-making has also been called into question. Brady was with Belichick on a successful run that spanned nearly two decades. Six Super Bowls were the crowning achievements of the Patriots’ dynasty, and some are beginning to question whether or not Brady was largely responsible for that success.
Nevertheless, Brady believes former coach has taken the same approach as always.
“Absolutely. I think that he’s got a very consistent approach that he’s always taken and, you know, it’s the right approach,” said Brady, when appearing on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. “It’s try to prepare the players, give them the best opportunities to succeed. You know, in the end, once the play is called in, the players have to go do it. It takes a great coaching staff to win. It takes great players to win. It takes great front office support to win. It’s an organizational win. It’s an organizational loss.
“To subscribe a win or a loss to one player—and they did that for me a lot when I was winning—and I always say, ‘It’s not about me, it’s about us.’ And when you lose, as a leader, when you lose, you take the blame, and you give the credit when you win. But at the end of the day, it’s a team sport.”
It is certainly interesting to hear Brady talk about the accountability question of things. He got a ton of credit for New England’s success and made a name for himself along the way.
Now, it will be up to Belichick to try to bring New England back to relevance. Patriots owner Robert Kraft is reportedly getting frustrated with losing. We’ll see how long of a leash Belichick is given in the coming weeks.
Tom Brady had a great response to Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders saying he went into “Brady mode” in win over Colorado State.
The entire football world was watching as the Colorado Buffaloes fought their way back to overcome a tough win at home on Saturday night against the rival Colorado State Rams.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders led an incredible offensive drive, complete with a two-point conversion, to tie the ballgame and send it into overtime late in the fourth quarter. It was a Brady-like drive with the game on the line, and Sanders executed it to perfection.
The Buffaloes ultimately outlasted the Rams in a 43-35 victory in double overtime.
“All I was thinking is Brady mode,” Sanders said after the game. “That’s it, simple. Brady mode, that’s it. They left too much time out there.”
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders led his team on a 98-yard, game-tying touchdown drive before beating CSU in double OT: pic.twitter.com/QIGwxGEP6e
Brady posted Sanders’ post-game comments on his Facebook story, along with an epic response to the budding, young signal-caller.
“I just want to go Shedeur mode at some point in life. Great win,” said Brady.
Sanders finished the game going 38-of-47 for 348 passing yards, four touchdowns and only one interception. With the win, the Buffaloes improved to 3-0 on the season, and Sanders’ Heisman odds will likely continue to grow.
To say it is worth bucking norms for the greatest quarterback that ever lived is an understatement. Brady led the Patriots through an unprecedented dynasty that spanned from 2001-2019. Six Super Bowls were just the tip of the iceberg, as Brady and the rest of the Patriots kept a winning dynasty alive for nearly two decades.
New England honored Brady in a smaller halftime ceremony on Sunday at Gillette Stadium, where the retired quarterback gave a passionate speech to Patriots fans.
Patriots fans will certainly be counting down the days until Brady’s induction. This may be the rare occasion when an actual Patriots game is not the hottest ticket in town.
