When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers season came to a close, fans were wondering what was going to happen with Tom Brady.
Fans thought if the legendary quarterback didn’t retire, he’d sign a contract with another NFL team.
While the rumors went around about him possibly going to another team, one person felt it was retirement or the Bucs for Brady.
Jeff Darlington laid out how the plan for the Super Bowl champion quarterback was always choosing retirement or re-signing with the Bucs.
Tom Brady informed Bucs today at 6 am he’d be retiring. One aspect I’d been mentioning for a bit now: Brady for months implied to many close to him that it was going to be either a return to Tampa or retirement. Tough for many to believe, including those close, but he meant it.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) February 1, 2023
However, Darlington has been “mentioning for a bit” how this was always the plan for number 12.
It’s easy to believe the legendary quarterback wanted to return to Tampa Bay, as he currently lives there.
Besides living out in Tampa, Brady’s offensive line allowed the fewest number of sacks (22) this past season.
With them protecting him from defenders, he had a solid reason to return to his team.
However, a return to them was also believable because of his history with his teammates.
They already built themselves a bond which led them to three seasons of playoff appearances.
While this season wasn’t the best for the Buccaneers, they still got a playoff spot.
When healthy, the Buccaneers have a solid team.
Having a solid team is something which Brady might have wanted if he were to play in 2023.
However, instead of making a return, the legendary quarterback felt it was time to retire.
The move now gives the Buccaneers time to decide what to do with their current quarterback situation going into the 2023 NFL offseason.
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