The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were eliminated from the postseason Monday night after being crushed by the Dallas Cowboys, 31-14.
The win sends the Cowboys to San Francisco to play against the 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Made’em walk the plank 😤#DALvsTB | @WinStarWorld pic.twitter.com/3vSNcNHqe4
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) January 17, 2023
The Cowboys’ win was huge but the bigger story to come from this game seems to be centered around Tom Brady. The 45-year-old may have played in the final game of his legendary football career.
When the seven-time Super Bowl champion jogged off the field, he tipped his cap to the crowd as to say “thank you.” He then stopped by his parents to give them both a kiss.
For possibly the last time in the NFL , Brady kisses his parents goodbye pic.twitter.com/5vY1xI1mmE
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 17, 2023
In the post-game press conference, Brady thanked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization and their fans for making him feel welcomed and respected when he joined them. He also expressed his appreciation to the members of the press for the work they do covering the sport.
Here’s the video of how Tom Brady ended his press conference tonight: pic.twitter.com/bUHKJgSOmY
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 17, 2023
The way I see it, Brady was motioning final goodbyes to the Tampa Bay fans, their media members and perhaps to the game of football for the last time.
Considering his NFL resume, I don’t see any reason for him to return for a 24th season. According to NBC Sports, Brady is already the holder of multiple NFL records.
To name a few, Brady is the NFL’s leader in:
- Quarterback wins (251)
- Passing touchdowns (649)
- Passing yards (89,214)
- Completions (7,753)
- Division titles (19)
- Pro Bowl selections (15)
- Super Bowl victories (7)
- Super Bowl MVP’s (5)
- Super Bowl appearances (10)
I believe Brady is undoubtedly the greatest quarterback of all time. His accolades speak for themselves. If he were to step away from the game, he would, of course, be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. (RELATED: REPORT: Tom Brady Joining The Miami Dolphins Is ‘Definitely On The Table’)
With nothing else left to prove, I believe Brady’s next logical move would be to join the Fox Sports broadcast team. Last May, Brady agreed to a 10-year contract worth over $375 million with Fox to become their lead NFL analyst. For the kind of money he’ll get in broadcasting and after accomplishing all there is to accomplish as an NFL player, I think he’ll finally ride off into the sunset.
If I were to bet, I would say that his playing career is over and that he’s going to Fox. That said, no one knows what’s next except for him. Time will tell for #12.