Near Silence At ESPN
February 14th, 2022
Tom Brady
Joe finds it a little odd that after two NFL Network insiders reported early on Super Bowl morning — on TV and at NFL.com — that Tom Brady has unretirement on his mind, there was near silence on the subject over at ESPN.
Not peep on Twitter from ESPN national NFL voices Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington (guys who broke the story that Brady would retire), and not a Twittering from ESPN Bucs beat reporter Jenna Laine.
This morning on Get Up! on ESPN TV, however, (also known as Stay In Bed!) host Mike Greenberg ordered the NFL panelists around him to, “Stop saying, ‘What if,’ He’s coming back,” referring to Brady playing in 2022. Joe was intrigued that Greenberg apparently didn’t get the internal memo to shutup when it comes to saying Brady will play.
Joe just hopes Brady is complete candid with the Bucs.
If he refuses to play for Tampa Bay again, then he needs to let the Bucs know so they can manage the situation in their best interests. But can Brady be trusted to do that? If that’s the case?
February 14th, 2022 at 12:29 pm
I don’t think Brady will prolong it as Favre did, but I’m sure he’d let them know if he wants out.
February 14th, 2022 at 12:35 pm
Teddy Bruschi who knows Brady pretty well said no way Brady is coming back. Bruschi stated that people like TB12 plan out everything and that is why the cable show ” Man in the Arena” was done this year likely because Brady knew he would retire at the end of the season. Glazers could make a call to Tom and ask him to meet with them , Glazers could then say is there ANY scenario that would lure you back for one more year with the Bucs Tom? Say part ownership? Team President moving forward? Axing Arians? Signing your pick of our FA’s? Anything? If Tom still says thanks but NO THANKS-then move on.
February 14th, 2022 at 12:40 pm
Yes, he needs to let us know. If he wants to play somewhere else, fine. We will trade you to that team for their qb and a pick. You want to play for mcdaniel instead? Ok, we get carr and a pick and we are ready for a deep playoff run. He’s not done, I just hope hes back in tampa
February 14th, 2022 at 12:40 pm
I hope Brady is as consumed by his business ventures as he was with football, so that way when he does get the itch to play, his wife will say “you might as well be playing football, we never see you anyway”.
Yeah, I’m greedy. 30 losing seasons do that do a man.
February 14th, 2022 at 12:41 pm
what 76 said. give him whatever he wants, which I suspect would be a new coaching staff…….but then he’d be starting over and the devil you know and all
I think he’s done
February 14th, 2022 at 12:43 pm
There is nothing to suggest in Brady’s career that he is wishy-washy regarding decisions related to his football career.
If we were talking Favre or Rodgers, I would think otherwise.
Tom is NOT coming back!
February 14th, 2022 at 12:45 pm
I think the only way Brady comes back is part-ownership of a team. I don’t think any owner will give that too him, and though I’m not as intimately familiar with the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, I know the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibits transactons like that as part of a compensation package. Even a side agreement, away from direct compensation would require Goodell’s approval, and he’d likely bundle the side agreement as part and parcel of the compensation contract.
The owners would hate it. It’s not just Brady, it’s the fear that future franchise QBs would have the power to negotiate ownership shares. That would scare owners to the marrow. That’s why a side agreement wouldn’t be acceptable to Goodell.
Brady could return as owner and QB if they are indeed separate deals: 1. Brady heads up an ownership group that purchases a team, and 2. Brady then signs a super-cheap contract, freeing salary cap money to make improvements elsewhere. He’d make a ton of money as an owner rather than as a player, which in turn could be used by him to solicit investors to buy a team.
February 14th, 2022 at 12:45 pm
Well, sooner or later this novel should be stopped…..
Starts to be annoying…..
February 14th, 2022 at 12:50 pm
He did wait until free agency began before he confirmed with the Pat’s. But he was also disgruntled. Is there something that made him disgruntled in Tampa? Who knows. In a previous post Evan’s mentioned he asked about his retirement in practice and Brady offered a different answer than the norm. My guess this is for real, as much as this is probably killing him he may have lost his passion for the game.
February 14th, 2022 at 12:51 pm
We have beat this brady return crap to death. Might as well put it on the barbie and barbeque it. Guess the next thing will be a clever new beer called, Bradys return.
February 14th, 2022 at 12:53 pm
Thats why the Bucs should a low cost free agent to compete with Trask. BA needs to forget about Gabbert hes been a s–t show everywhere hes been. He was even out of football a couple of years ago. Until BA brought him back. That way if Brady comes back fine. Kick the tires Marcus M. or Mitch T.
February 14th, 2022 at 12:55 pm
This really sucks for Tampa fans like myself. Brady only spending 2 years in Tampa and one of those were during Covid, so you really only had 1 year as a fan to watch in person. About mid season this year I told the wife we’re going to a home game next year to watch him play. Never been to a home Tampa game because flying you and your family out from the west coast to Tampa is stupid expensive. Last year I couldn’t do it because of health issues with the wife, but 8 games is all fans had to see him play at home. It sure would of been nice to make it out there to see a home game with Brady this coming year, but Arizona has a nice stadium and I’ll go watch the Bucs then.
February 14th, 2022 at 12:58 pm
Rams just won a SB. Ain’t nobody wanna talk about this…again!!! Boring
February 14th, 2022 at 1:56 pm
The two weeks leading up to the SB and even the day of the NFL media only covered 4 stories, AR trade or not, and Tom return or retire, and puff pieces on Rams and Cinci to hype the game and viewership.
Within 24h of Rams winning, the stories on TV will be where is AR going, where is Wilson going, is Brady returning, and draft talk, sprinkled with Cowboys news.
February 14th, 2022 at 2:00 pm
Brady already told the Bucs and the NFL he was done.
The fact people are refusing to listen to him, that’s on you.
February 14th, 2022 at 3:04 pm
Fact is the Bucs hold some strong cards regarding Brady. Retired or not, Bucs have his contract until they choose to release him, and I doubt they’d do that.
I suspect he’s done, but would really enjoy one more, final encore tour with Tom Brady in pewter.
And maybe creamsicle. I’d buy a Brady creamsicle jersey in a heartbeat.
February 14th, 2022 at 3:05 pm
Why uproot your family when they publicly made it clear they want him retired.
Plus, he is building an expensive home in Biscayne, Fla. He’s staying in Florida for family reasons including his oldest son who lives in the East coast.
Retirement seems to be what the family wants, and TB has plenty of enterprises to keep him occupied.
February 14th, 2022 at 3:42 pm
If he’s not careful, this perceived indecisive talk can and will bite him.
February 14th, 2022 at 5:50 pm
Here we go… Now J03 is questioning ESPN for NOT continuing to spin the empty speculation cycle. Speculation is not news.
Until Brady himself says publicly that he is playing in 2022, he’s retired. It does not benefit the Bucs or the fans to continue this speculative BS. If Brady did decide to play, then that’s wonderful, but plan as if he’s not… cuz this is just getting stupid.
February 14th, 2022 at 10:08 pm
Just because Bruce Arians’ retirement property is in Georgia is no reason to start a rumor that he will be coaching in Hotlanta next year! 😋 🙄
February 16th, 2022 at 10:08 am
I’m not the only one who calls is stay in bed???