Tom Brady was facing a tough task Thursday night.
That was taking home the NFL MVP award after it became clear Aaron Rodgers had emerged as the overwhelming favorite.
Rodgers did win, but Brady finished second in what was a tight race all season.
The second-place finish also set some professional sports history.
Tom Brady is the first NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB player to finish top-2 in MVP voting in his final season since Sandy Koufax in 1966. pic.twitter.com/prK3E1Obaf
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 11, 2022
He became the first professional athlete since Sandy Koufax in 1966 to finish top-2 in MVP voting in their final season.
That is quite the accomplishment and raises a question of if this statistic will hold true a few years from now.
Can Brady Compete For An MVP Award Again?
For now, Brady finished second overall in MVP voting in his final season.
But was this truly his final season?
Rumors continue to circulate about whether he would like to return in 2022, or even take a year off and make one final run at a Super Bowl in 2023.
If he did return, plenty of final-season records would have to be rewritten until he hangs up his cleats for good.
Finishing so high in the MVP voting explains why his return is rumored.
In his final season in the league, Tom Brady led the NFL (at age 44) in…
▫️ Passing yards (5,316)
▫️ Pass attempts (719)
▫️ Passing yards per game (312.7)
▫️ Passing TD (43)My MVP. pic.twitter.com/OnXgggTyJx
— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) February 11, 2022
Brady did not retire, or step away, because his abilities were declining.
He instead made a conscious decision to spend more time with family and just take a break from football.
There is no indication his body is breaking down or that he was in intense pain at all times.
He just wanted a break.
But if he played this well in 2021, why can’t he do so again in 2022 or 2023?
His potential return will remain a rumor until he makes a concrete decision one way or the other on retirement.
Until then, records like the one he shares with Koufax remain tentative.
