It has to be weird for fans in New England to see Tom Brady playing in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform.
Him winning the Super Bowl last year may have felt like a bad dream.
Yet he is gone after one of the best runs in professional sports history.
This now marks his second year in Florida and he seems to be having a great time.
This connection is being brought up again this week because Sunday night’s primetime matchup features the Buccaneers heading north to take on Brady’s former team in the Patriots.
Here we have the biggest storyline of the week without a close second contender.
NBC even made a ridiculous promo for the game.
Hello from the other side. @TomBrady returns to New England this Sunday night.
🎵: @Adele pic.twitter.com/EmISjoZwrh
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) September 28, 2021
Cue up people in Boston wiping away tears to Adele.
The Return
The way Brady left should have fans in his corner if there was ever an argument about his legacy.
And even if he did leave on awful terms, which he didn’t, he still achieved unheard of feats with the Patriots.
The six Super Bowl titles he brought home to New England will never be forgotten.
Seeing him bring home another to Tampa Bay only drives home the point of his GOAT status.
So how will Patriots fans react Sunday night?
There will surely be some boos, but the cheers should drown all that out.
Tom Brady tells @JeffDarlington: “I know what the wind is like. I know how their team is going to prepare. I know what their schedule is going to be like. I know what's going to be said.” https://t.co/2hIC9D4VOO
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 28, 2021
The Patriots are likely going to treat this like a big homecoming and that is just fine.
Mac Jones and the rest of the players currently in Patriots uniforms just have to accept this reality.
A New Era
A first-round pick was used on Jones and Bill Belichick is hoping the former Alabama quarterback can lead the franchise back to greatness.
Will it ever be close to what Brady accomplished?
That is likely not possible for anyone, let alone Jones.
But the pressure is there because expectations are still so high for fans in New England, whether that is fair or not.
A win Sunday night would be a huge statement and while it would not wipe away the memories of Brady, it would prove the 2021 Patriots are playoff contenders once again.
The team is off to a 1-2 start and just needs a win in general to get back on track and avoid falling too far down the standings so early in a division dominated by the Buffalo Bills.
As for Brady, his Buccaneers also want a win to get to 3-1 in a competitive NFC South division.
So this is not some sort of farewell game for Brady.
He is marching into New England looking for a win as his new team looks to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
Depending on how long he continues to play, this may not even be his final time playing in New England.
The new schedule format with the 17th game allows for that to be a possibility.
NEXT: 3 Reasons Tom Brady Is Happier With Buccaneers Over Patriots