Absent Fire In Tom Brady’s Final Season
May 15th, 2024
Teammate weighs in.
Joe realizes folks at One Buc Palace have been absolutely terrified to say publicly that Tom Brady wasn’t his usual self as a player and as a leader in 2022 — a year in which he had a very heavy hand in crafting a bad offense.
Joe has always found that silly. It’s ok to say the 45-year-old QB wasn’t what he used to be when he led an offense that averaged a miserable 18.4 points a game after posting 30-plus per game the year before.
Bucs running back Rachaad White, however, shed a little light recently during his visit to the A,000 Hours Out Tha Mud podcast.
“My rookie year, it was a little bit content in the locker room. It was. It was, no lie, it was a little bit of like content in the building in general, though,” White said. ” … You know, and I don’t want to speak on it, we know what Tom [Brady] was going through my rookie year and all that, too.”
White went on to commend Brady for sticking with the team that season, and White also lauded Baker Mayfield for the fire he brought to the club in 2023.
It’s a fire White said he expects to return, and White says the Bucs are a motivated bunch he expects to win 12 or more games this season.
As for White himself, his goals are huge and extend to all aspects of being a Buccaneer.
“I want to be the face of Tampa,” he said.
May 15th, 2024 at 10:20 am
I don’t want him to be the face of Tampa. If a RB is the face of the team then we really have issues.
May 15th, 2024 at 10:25 am
Man white can find a mic but can’t find the hole #NoDiddy
May 15th, 2024 at 10:26 am
If Tom Brady had a heavy hand in the Buc 2022 offense….he failed miserably……and Byron got the well-deserved blame.
May 15th, 2024 at 10:27 am
We don’t know if he’ll be RB1 by the end of the year let alone the face of the franchise. White needs to let his play do the talking and not let his mouth continue to write checks he can’t cash.
May 15th, 2024 at 10:35 am
I think the divorce hit Brady very hard in 2022 and he wasn’t himself. He also didn’t trust the OL that year – he was throwing it VERY quickly. He brought us a SB wind, and showed a lot of teammates his work ethic, so I’m very grateful for that. No amount of media talk will improve White’s play, he needs to work the playbook now and improve his play on the field.
May 15th, 2024 at 10:35 am
Shut up and play.
May 15th, 2024 at 10:35 am
It amazes me that the Bucs, with the history they have, could ever get content or cocky in any situation, regardless of who’s QB.
May 15th, 2024 at 10:37 am
Somebody better hurry up and fill that void as a face to THIS franchise then cause finishing around.500 every season ain’t gonna cut it for Baker or anyone else even if the Bucs end on top as a 9-8 division winner!! Mehhhhh
May 15th, 2024 at 10:38 am
Like it or not, he’s not wrong.
May 15th, 2024 at 10:55 am
We all know Tom had no intentions of taking a hit his final season.
White will lead the league in interviews.
May 15th, 2024 at 10:56 am
DS,
What holes? Our line last year couldnt put a hole in a water Balloon.
We had two horrible backups starting last year.
We replaced one of them. Looks like they are gonna try playing with another backup this year.
A rookie( they always suck), a first year Guard, and a backup from another team.
My guess is that Mr.White still wont see any holes to run thru.
Last in rushing for yet another year. Quite the streak we have going.
May 15th, 2024 at 10:56 am
A wife that was giving him hell for playing, cheating, divorce and FTX lawsuit, now the convicted Bankman-Fried guy is working with the prosecution against the celebrities involved. very bad situation for Tom. I can see why he had a lot of trouble playing in his last year.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:00 am
I am to hear Baker Mayfield’s teammates commenting on the “fire” that he brings to the team. We’ll see if this translates into wins.
Considering the recent news about Jared Goff’s lucrative deal with the Lions, I am glad that Jason Licht negotiated a contract with Mayfield earlier in the year.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:03 am
There were two contributing factors to the Bucs offensive woes in the Brady’s final season.
The first was an OC, who without his crutch BA was crippled by his own lack of intelligence and imagination. Geeesh, the guy can’t even get a high school coaching job now.
The second was his OL, which due to injuries, retirements, defections and poor drafting, was a mere shell of its former self.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:06 am
Wow Buc4ever, you sound like something straight out of MAGA conspiracy land. Tighten up that tin foil.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:11 am
@ Buc4evr
Absolutely!!
May 15th, 2024 at 11:17 am
I don’t think the run blocking was as bad as it was made out to be also rb job is to make people and miss break tackles. RBs never have perfect line play ijs
May 15th, 2024 at 11:19 am
Let me get this right, Bucs4ever can spew out all of the wild rumors and conspiracy theories but when I attribute to where they come from you censor me. Right.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:20 am
Not surprised or shocked, it was evident when you watched the team play especially on offense that Brady was kind of cooked.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:22 am
Baloney
May 15th, 2024 at 11:23 am
Tom’s head wasn’t in it…no doubt…and who could blame him.
Still the GOAT and could show up on game day and win any game provided the team was calling and executing the right plays.
The Tom of 2-3 years prior, with fire, would have waved off 1/2 those stupid plays. He was going through the motions amd doing as told. So, yeah on Tom a bit………but no other QB has blown off the plays the way Tom did when he was hunting for another ring. He AND the coaching were out in left field.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:26 am
He’s starting to remind me of Devin white minus the whining and lack of effort. His agent needs to mention that he should take a break with the media. It’s like he’s hungry, sees a microphone, and wants to eat it.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:32 am
Brady understood that without Marpet and Jennings things were not going to be easily executed and they weren’t, hence his quick release time. Last season was the same along with a new QB who thankfully was mobile enough to by time.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:38 am
Gronk was missing! He had the magic of being there when Brady need him to keep drives alive.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:40 am
It’s simple! He wants a media job when his playing days are over( that’s as soon as his rookie contract is up) He’s currently filling out his experience for the resume!!
May 15th, 2024 at 11:40 am
In N.E Brady didn’t make the Playoffs once in 2008, From 2016-2019 people were saying he was cooked and won 14, 13,11, and went to 2 Super Bowls and won one.
Then comes to Tampa and takes them to the Playoffs 3 straight years won one Super Bowl the first year and was actually one play from going to the Conference Championship in another had the now highest paid defensive back done his job.
You think Brady said Jack Sh!t to Winfield about it? I doubt it. He would be the first to tell you it is the Ultimate Team Sport and the team failed.
Even at 48 brady would still be better than a Mayfield at 28.
Before Brady the Bucs had one 12 win season and won the Super Bowl that year. Is White Calling it?
May 15th, 2024 at 11:42 am
Oh wow. The secret is out. Brady wasn’t focused on football his last season. That’s incredible. And now he approves a Roast where he stands up for Kraft, but his ex is fair game? For all he’s accomplished, he’s not a happy man. Give him some peace and be thankful for 2020.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:43 am
Hasn’t happened since I was a young man, (thankfully) but there’s NO sicker feeling a dude can hav than his woman leaving him for another man. Life comes to a halt, and you can’t think about anything else. I’m 63, still remember that sick feeling 40+ years later
May 15th, 2024 at 11:43 am
Brady had a lot of things going on and also the entire AB crap on and off the field too. As Bucfan mentioned, Gronk was gone too. With everything going on, Brady still was out there playing and trying to win. Yes, he missed some practices, but showed up to the games and played hard. There were other problems on the field and were not all Brady’s fault.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:44 am
Can’t say I miss Brady at all. He got what he wanted, the fans and the team got what they wanted. He was a hired gun. Nothing more than that. He was sub-par in his final season and going through a divorce is something that hundreds of other players have gone through over the years. Congratulations to JL for another outstanding move. Time to build it back up again.
May 15th, 2024 at 11:52 am
It was time so he retired. Good job, Tom.
May 15th, 2024 at 12:10 pm
Beeej Says:
May 15th, 2024 at 11:43 am
“there’s NO sicker feeling a dude can have than his woman leaving him for another man.”
When I went thru that I believed it also……until the morning that my son died of a heart attack at 25…….kinda changed my perspective. I got over the wife….
May 15th, 2024 at 12:41 pm
I like White. He’s got a good head. Good interview. Sharp guy.
May 15th, 2024 at 12:56 pm
Sorry Gotti-Dog for the sudden loss of your son at 25 years old. That is so sad. Very hard to lose a child. There is no amount of time to fully heal and it definitely changes perspective on everything. Please except my sincere condolences.
May 15th, 2024 at 2:06 pm
Beeej Says:
May 15th, 2024 at 11:43 am
Hasn’t happened since I was a young man, (thankfully) but there’s NO sicker feeling a dude can hav than his woman leaving him for another man. Life comes to a halt, and you can’t think about anything else.
Unless it’s for another woman.
May 15th, 2024 at 2:20 pm
Yeah, that would provoke mixed feelings
May 15th, 2024 at 3:29 pm
Permanently Moderated Says:
May 15th, 2024 at 10:35 am
It amazes me that the Bucs, with the history they have, could ever get content or cocky in any situation, regardless of who’s QB.
Because they do not know the history, that is why.
May 15th, 2024 at 4:24 pm
As usual most of the comments are from a bunch of people who only want to complain if you know anything about last year White didn’t get much of a chance to run the ball but he certainly was awesome receiving out of the back field give the man a chance to show you what he can do with a better oline I think we will be able to improve this year by leaps and bounds go Bucs
May 15th, 2024 at 4:33 pm
Even I thought that coming back and his wife leaving and all that played heavily, I went back to when Mike Tyson’s wife left him, he wasn’t half of what he needed to be. Sure I could see some discust at times when he would get the call. If he could just take over he would have been better off calling his own plays. Many things factored that season. Go Bucs!!!
May 15th, 2024 at 7:46 pm
@SB – yup, with that poor o-line, you need a mobile QB who can escape. If Baker wasn’t mobile and feisty, we would have easily given up another 15 sacks last year.
As for 2022, it seems that Brady was essentially the ONLY leader in our locker room, so once his mind went elsewhere due to his own personal issues, no one else stepped up. You could tell Brady wasn’t going through stuff just based on how much weight he had lost during all the offseason BS.
May 15th, 2024 at 7:47 pm
*was* going through stuff
May 15th, 2024 at 9:13 pm
@HeyJude
Saw your comments on the Morning Roundup about the roast and I agree with them. I also understand your admiration of Brady. I’m not the person you are…still working on my character. LOL
And so I preface this by stating my own bias. I’ve never liked Brady except the first year here with the Bucs. I concede his greatness of course and perhaps its my envy…dude is 6-4…still handsome-has all his hair and seven freaking SB rings…he has truly enjoyed the “Luck of the Irish”. I have a shamrock tattooed on my thigh with a banner “Luck of the Irish”. But I never really felt that way until I turned 70 and matured and realized how incredibly lucky I truly am.
No SB’s…no Supermodel wife, but my wife is a babe, again perhaps my prejudice. I still have a good amount of hair so there’s that. LOL
I now have come full circle where I pity Brady. Net worth of 300 million…a 300+ million dollar deal with Fox to broadcast games, his pick of hot chicks,
he still has it all in the opinion of the vast majority of guys here.
From my now more mature perch I can see he’s a mess. He can’t find another identity other than playing QB in the NFL. Not that he doesn’t have the talent,or opportunity, it’s just not who he is. He can’t figure out how to give up his addiction…NFL football..playing it, not broadcasting.
One of the first jokes in that off color roast was spot on and describes the disaster he help create his final season.
Kevin Hart..paraphrasing…yeah Tom way to go, get a final season to go 8-9…laughter…and it only cost you a wife and kids! BOOM there it is!
Brady can do no wrong. There are still people here blaming Leftwich (I’m not fan of his) for the offensive disaster and horrid playcalling. Anybody here who believes Brady did not have ALL the power in that relationship with BL can contact me for a great deal on the Sunshine Skyway!
It WAS Brady’s offense. He had to cosign on everything from game plans to playcalling. I have no regrets however since he accomplished the goal in his first season win a 2nd SB for the Bucs. Thanks and good luck finding a life Tommy Boy. More than a half billion is not enough…gorgeous Supermodel who is actually worth more than him, 7 SB’s, not enough.
May 18th, 2024 at 6:50 am
“Joe realizes folks at One Buc Palace have been absolutely terrified to say publicly that Tom Brady wasn’t his usual self as a player and as a leader in 2022 — a year in which he had a very heavy hand in crafting a bad offense.”
You do realize that injuries, 10 other guys, a retired TE, a never was OC, and some piss poor head coaching also played major rolls in that fiasco, don’t you Joe?
How you arrive at the conclusion that Brady had a “heavy hand” escapes me.
Go Bucs!