BY MIKE POLCE, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Tom Brady could have sailed off into the sunset with his wife, children and $650 million in the bank. Yet, he chose to sacrifice it all for a chance at yet another Super Bowl ring.
After announcing his retirement from the NFL after 22 years of pure dominance, Brady signed a 10-year, $375 million dollar contract with Fox Sports to be the lead on-air analyst. This seemed like the perfect gig for Brady. He was scheduled to call one game a week, which would leave him plenty of time to focus on his wife and three children.
Brady’s retirement marked the end of a career defined by greatness, longevity and respect. But father time caught up to Brady, and he had other, more important responsibilities he had to tend to. At least we thought.
Many Twitter users speculated whether or not Brady would stay true to his retirement, and on March 13, Brady made an announcement..
He announced his return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 23rd season in a Twitter post: “These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG.”
You just couldn’t let it go, could you Brady?
It turns out Brady’s wife, Gisele Bundchen, wasn’t a fan of the idea, and rightfully so. The two hired divorce attorneys in early October and finalized the divorce on October 28, putting an end to their 13 years of marriage.
While dad was away playing football with his 20-year-old teammates, Gisele was raising their three children, and one of them isn’t even hers. Brady had his oldest son, Jack, with his ex-wife, Bridget Moyanhan.
Was losing your family worth it Tom?
The Tampa Buccaneers are currently sitting at a record of 4-5. Brady’s play has been underwhelming, and the team is struggling because of it. He has a passing rating of 90.5, the 16th highest in the NFL. To put that in perspective, quarterbacks like Cooper Rush, Jacoby Brissett, Marcus Mariota, Jared Goff and Daniel Jones are all ahead of him in what many consider to be the most important QB stat.
But the eye-test is what really stands out. For the first time ever, Brady looks old. In an NFL dominated by dual-threat quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, Brady looks out of place. The Buccaneers have the 19th best offense in the NFL according to ESPN and have absolutely no chance at contention in a loaded NFC. More importantly, Brady looks miserable.
Whether he’s on the sideline yelling at his teammates, sitting on the bench with his head down or criticizing the team in post-game interviews, Brady’s displeasure with the Buccaneers current play is apparent.
After the Buccaneers terrible 20-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brady said, “We’ve got to look at ourselves in the mirror and figure out why?” I’ll tell you why Tom, you’re a 45-year-old quarterback that is going through a divorce because you decided to choose football over your family. That’s the way karma works, Tom.
Last Sunday, the Buccaneers beat the 3-5 Los Angeles Rams 16-13 in what was another abysmal performance from the offense. Although Brady showcased his clutch tendencies by leading the Bucs to a game-winning drive in the final minute of the fourth quarter, the future is not looking too bright for the Buccaneers.
But luckily for them, everyone in the AFC South is just as bad, if not worse than the Bucs. Either way, Brady and that horrible offense are not going anywhere this season.
Once again, was losing your family worth it Tom? Most people would say no, but Tom Brady’s underdog mentality and the constant desire to “prove himself” took hold of the situation and led him into yet another NFL season. Or was it his ego that led him to play another season? Brady has seven super rings, three MVPs, and has dated actresses and supermodels.
Maybe he feels entitled to continue winning. After all, that is what he is known for. But what is more important: Winning, or in the Buccaneers’ case, losing, on the football field? Or losing your loved ones? To me, that is an easy choice, regardless of how the team is performing.
polcema20@bonaventure.edu
