Asinine Speculation On Tom Brady Retirement
January 24th, 2022
NFL super insider Peter King
NBC Sports insider Peter King typed up hardcore ridiculousness late last night.
King’s comprehensive Monday morning column is always sprinkled with quality nuggets, as well as a little bizarre commentary presented as fact. The latter focused on the Bucs today when King opined on a potential Tom Brady retirement.
It seems King already has a deep understanding of the 2022 Buccaneers’ quality of play and talent.
And at a time when the Bucs were all-in on 2021 and it didn’t result in a second Tampa Super Bowl, Brady knows 2022 is going to be worse because of the cap and because some of the vets are not going to be able to be the impact players they were in the Super Bowl season. So maybe this is time to go. But I stress: I don’t know if he will. Brady might come back and throw for 5K again next fall. We’ll see. He does deserve to take his time and make the choice he wants to make.
Thankfully, Brady is not King and does not know “2022 is going to be worse.” C’mon, Peter!
In fact, Brady has said repeatedly that it often takes three to five years to develop elite chemistry between quarterbacks and pass catchers, so it’s more likely that Brady is thinking how much better the Bucs offense will be in 2022.
After reading King’s silliness, Joe wonders what King projected in January out of the 2021 Patriots, a team transformed by free agents and a rookie quarterback. The Bucs certainly wouldn’t need anywhere near that kind of makeover.
Reality says the salary cap will increase and the Bucs will not be shelling out $6 million each to Antonio Brown and O.J. Howard, and there will be more big money freed up by the likely departure of Jason Pierre-Paul (2 1/2 sacks, $12.5 million) and others. There also will be more opportunities for the Bucs to mortgage their salary cap future — aka kick the can down the road — in order to free up cash to invest in 2022. New contracts to Chris Godwin and Ryan Jensen, for example, could be backloaded.
No, Tom Brady is not stretching today and thinking about how the Bucs will be worse in 2022. More than likely, he’s thinking about how if Tristan Wirfs didn’t twist an ankle and Todd Bowles didn’t have a bout of temporary insanity, the Bucs would be back in the Super Bowl.
And if Brady is looking forward, he has to realize the path to another NFC South title is a smooth one. Thankfully, Brady is not the kind of negative thinker that King thinks he is.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:02 am
I’m gratified that Peter King is so understanding about any deliberation that Tom Brady is going through….
January 24th, 2022 at 9:06 am
King gets paid to write something, and no one actually knows what will happen. He is going to write about throwing darts at the wall, who knows maybe dumb luck happens and he hits something. But again King is paid to write so, there you go.
Brady marches to his own drum beat no matter what any scribe like King has to say. Time will tell what actually happens.
Sure do not want any Trask era to begin in 2022 lol
GO BUCS!!!!!
January 24th, 2022 at 9:07 am
If Brady does come back, I will be pleasantly surprised.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:07 am
Bruce Arians said “some guys didn’t blitz” on big play to Cooper Kupp
Q:How do you blow coverage twice in such a big game? A: Because u have a idiot as a coach.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:07 am
Great column Joe 💪
January 24th, 2022 at 9:08 am
I want Brady back even if Jensen has to prop him up and hold him upright
January 24th, 2022 at 9:09 am
C’mon….after watching the Bucs get whipped (for the most part) once AGAIN by the Rams, without a lot of FA talent infusion, “worse” is probably accurate. And after that defensive debacle, I hope Bowles gets that head coaching job somewhere. Horrific and inexcusable defensive coaching decisions.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:12 am
If I was TB I would have left on a high note after the SB. We need to move on from TB and start looking for a younger mobile Josh Allen.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:15 am
Brady is in physical decline, his wounded ducks are increasing.
Is he going to go out like Barry Sanders or Mike Tyson
Folks that is the reality!
January 24th, 2022 at 9:17 am
Hey Todd Bowles please leave and take a HC job and get fired like u did in NY because u suck.
The result of the game may not have changed had all of the Bucs defenders been on the same page, but it was certainly a bad time to have a miscommunication about how they were going to handle an offense with this season’s most prolific wide receiver. “NBC Sports”
January 24th, 2022 at 9:24 am
Wounded ducks? I didn’t see any of those. The man can still stand on his 45 and drop it in the end zone. Imo, the different between winning and losing that game is the difference between Godwin and Johnson
January 24th, 2022 at 9:25 am
Brady is playing far too well to retire……Licht will get him whatever players he wants……
As far as speculation….the 24-hr news cycle breeds it……what else are they to talk about to eat up all that time?
January 24th, 2022 at 9:29 am
Some people are nuts the window for the bucs is still definitely open if Brady comes back which I feel he will, bucs made it to the playoffs despite all the drama with ab with all the injuries with all the bad calls they have some spots they need to upgrade from that is definitely doable
January 24th, 2022 at 9:32 am
LVMYBUCS Says:
“If I was TB I would have left on a high note after the SB. We need to move on from TB and start looking for a younger mobile Josh Allen.”
How soon we forget…finding a quality rookie QB is not as easy as you make it sound. More than likely, the team will go after another veteran if Brady retires.
Aaron Rogers or Russel Wilson maybe.
But I really doubt Brady retires.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:34 am
LVMYBUCS Says:
January 24th, 2022 at 9:17 am
Hey Todd Bowles please leave and take a HC job and get fired like u did in NY because u suck.
The result of the game may not have changed had all of the Bucs defenders been on the same page, but it was certainly a bad time to have a miscommunication about how they were going to handle an offense with this season’s most prolific wide receiver. “NBC Sports”
LV
Maybe you can ask Lavonte David, a very good player, WHY he just stayed in no mans land on the blitz? Basically took himself out of the play by just watching the play. He is a Vet, whats up with that?
Just watch the play, espn was going over that play and showed Lavonte just sitting. They Jeff Saturday showed a rush lane, but Lavonte just sat there and never filled the lane. Busted play at the worst time.
GO BUCS!!!!
January 24th, 2022 at 9:41 am
I think everyone should be careful what they wish for in wishing Bowles gone. A poor call at the end of the game doesn’t make the coach. He literally walked in and made one of the worst defenses in the league respectable. That being said, we could have played much better all the way around. The line was terrible. Brady was off a little early in the game. Johnson couldn’t catch anything.
We started with 2 great run plays with Fournette and then the third didn’t work, so the run went out the window. I don’t understand why we don’t mix up what we’re doing more than we do. It’s 100% of one or the other. JPP is a warrior. One of the toughest guys I’ve ever seen. To watch him play with 1 arm and still be better than half the defensive ends out there was unbelievable. I complained about the blitz at the end, but I complained the entire game about no pressure on Stafford as well. Pick your poison.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:43 am
Brady knew right after super bowl game last year he was coming back last night not so much .
January 24th, 2022 at 9:44 am
Brady is done. after that taste of NE last night with no WR’s….. I think he calls it a career. He went out feisty, never seen him so pissed.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:47 am
Wonder if arians wouldve kicked the fg on 4th and 14 if bucs had gay. That 3 points may have changed the way defense was played on that last play.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:52 am
A journalist speculating? Heaven’s to Betsy no!
January 24th, 2022 at 9:57 am
It’s not like TB12 didn’t have a good year with excellent receiving Corp. It’s that they a few were injured and one had a tantrum. You can’t coach that.
If this game taught fans (and hopefulky the management!!!) Is that you put your money into building solid O-lines and D-lines and you can be successful. No more talk about drafting RB’s, CB’s or WR’s in the first two rounds unless you like losing.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:57 am
tom needs to figure out who is available, who he wants, and how to bring them in to keep his offense elite…
give tom what he needs and he will be back…
just give tom all the gravy he needs…
if treated correctly, the bucs are the only other team tom will ever play for…
obviously the patriots made a huge mistake letting tom slip away…and of course the bucs are aware of it – i can’t see licht and the glazers letting tommy bounce on out the door…
#TomGravy
January 24th, 2022 at 10:00 am
there are soooo many “told you so”, specially when it comes to DC ToooDDD…yes we could have made it… but…
Still this is NOT the point, after watching KC vs Bills last night, I’m convinced that the time of TB12 has come to the end, and a new breed of exceptional QBs are arriving, actually they are already here.
There is no match between Mahomes/Allen vs TB12 in 2022.
Tom is smart, and he should retire.
He gave us everything, and will be always appreciated.
January 24th, 2022 at 10:02 am
tom is more than the face of the franchise…
he is the face of the league and still at the top of his game…
any team would be crazy to let him walk out the door…
#WithTomTheBucsAreTheNewAmericasTeam
#TommyIsAnNflGod
#TomDoesntWantMoney
#TommyTitlesWantsPlayers
January 24th, 2022 at 10:11 am
After much consideration…..Bye Tom, and THANK YOU!!!
January 24th, 2022 at 10:21 am
My bet is Brady retires. He has nothing left to prove, lots of money in the bank, and a hot wife who does not want him to risk his health. If Brady goes so does Gronk. JPP and Suh retire. Some free agents leave. Bucs have too many needs everywhere to fill with the draft so free agent signings will be huge need. We basically got nothing in the last draft and will still draft low. So next year we live or die on free agent signings. QB, D line, Oline back ups, DB upgrades, tight ends, wide receiver with speed, are the many holes to fill. And QB may be the biggest need of them all. If Brady retires the Bucs are in a world of hurt. No adequate backup on the team. Low draft position. Established free agent not a quarantine. Good luck Licht, you got a big job ahead. And will an elderly head coach want to go thru all this?
January 24th, 2022 at 10:23 am
Like everything that comes out of NBC……‘Let’s go Brandon’ !!!!!!
January 24th, 2022 at 10:28 am
The roster is old. It showed this year big time with the injuries and an expanded season. The Rams and Saints beat us physically and were running circles around us. The team needs to get younger and faster. We need better corners. We need to likely replace Suh and JPP. We can resign Godwin but we need at least one more to replace AB. We need someone other than OJ TE.
All this will cost a lot of money… plus look at the schedule next year. It’s brutal.
January 24th, 2022 at 10:29 am
Brady’s STILL playing at a high level and will do so next season.
January 24th, 2022 at 10:30 am
@”…And will an elderly head coach want to go thru all this?..”
———————————-
unfortunate he is so full of himself, he thinks is performing in highest levels…
we are stuck in ‘idle” mode… Glazers and JL are unsecured when it come to “move on” decision from BA.
Bucs are in a very danger position for their own future. Very danger position.
January 24th, 2022 at 10:31 am
Lol @ Natron! So true! Hope abounds… I still love Brady and expect to see him next year… I was at the game and I have to say outstanding job by our brotherhood of fans. We were loud and showed what we have been waiting to do for years!
January 24th, 2022 at 10:32 am
It’s all on Jason “Licht House” Licht now….
Is he a great GM, or the Dean of Depression?
January 24th, 2022 at 10:40 am
Someone should tell Peter king that there’s ways to create cap space. They will have around 20 something . They’re in much better shape than let’s say the packers!
January 24th, 2022 at 10:47 am
When the alien invasion mothership arrives on earth, and you only have one shot to save humanity, I want Tom Brady to lead the resistance.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:10 am
Dear Tom,
you fool you can’t retire yet! you will be the face of NFL in Europe together with your model wife. you can expand your TB12 method there. play one more season and win us another superbowl. good for you and good or fans.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:16 am
If Brady leaves we will be left with BA and his pet QB Gabbert next year with Trask as back up. They will replace Gronk with Howard. Plan 9 instead of JPP. The Stainks will win the division and we won’t make the playoffs.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:17 am
I 100% agree Joe.
The Bucs will kick the can down the road with manipulating the salary cap as long as Brady wants to play.
My guess is Brady wants to play another two to three years, but of course nobody knows other than Brady.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:18 am
You’re out of your mind if you think TB12 is going out like this. He knows if Godwin and Wirfs were in that game we’re most likely headed to another Super Bowl. Go Bucs.
January 24th, 2022 at 12:21 pm
I don’t watch a ton of college football these days, but imo if there is a very good TE or DE available when we pick I’d go that route. You can never have enough pass rushers and a TE would be nice considering our current TEs are not getting any younger.
January 24th, 2022 at 1:19 pm
If they sign back the core people they need to like whitehead and Davis and Jensen and Godwin and Fournette and Gholston I think it will be better next year by adding in a couple key free agents, specifically wide receiver and DL, and getting a little injection of youth from the draft.
Plus you have to figure from the law of averages that they will not have that amount of injuries next year
January 24th, 2022 at 6:05 pm
I think and hope Tom is having too much fun to retire. They won a conference and were the second seed in the playoffs. Besides, he is not 45 yet..:)
January 24th, 2022 at 9:37 pm
“Brady knows 2022 is going to be worse because of the cap and because some of the vets are not going to be able to be the impact players they were in the Super Bowl season.” I read this to mean (King thinks) 1. there is a cap problem 2. the vets will be two years older and worse.
January 29th, 2022 at 4:20 pm
Well, since Brady retired today it would appear it’s your column that asinine. Shows how little you know. Peter King has been covering the NFL for years, I trust his sources over your idle speculation.