The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defeat to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card game brought an end to Tom Brady’s 23rd season as an NFL quarterback. It wasn’t entirely unexpected given the way that the Bucs had performed this year, but it was still disappointing for the man who has won seven Super Bowls and nine Conferences, and who usually appears in the latter stages of the playoffs.
This will be the second season in a row that Brady and the Bucs are not part of the Super Bowl bet markets and this relatively disappointing season has led to intense speculation on where Brady might go next. Plenty of NFL betting fans will be waiting to see what decision the great man makes before making their bets on the next season. So, where are the likeliest landing spots for Brady in 2023?
Stay With Tampa Bay
Back in November, the Tampa Bay franchise was optimistic that Brady would not only play on after the end of the season but that he would do so with the Bucs.
That seems less likely at this point, given the current state of the Bucs. Whereas his first season in Tampa Bay gave Brady the chance to play behind a strong offensive line with great options at wide receiver and tight end, that team has now broken up and the lack of a run game¾combined with a weakened offensive line¾is a lot to fix in one offseason, especially with 26 players entering free agency.
If Brady is to play on, he will surely want to be in contention for another Super Bowl, and Tampa Bay looks a long way off getting back to that level right now.
Take a Chance in Las Vegas
Of all the possible landing places for Brady in 2023, the Las Vegas Raiders seem to be the most discussed franchise, for several reasons.
First, there is a vacancy¾Derek Carr announced that he was moving on. Secondly, Brady would have the chance to work with Davante Adams, the superstar wide receiver whom the Raiders brought in from Green Bay last year. Finally, there is the presence of head coach Josh McDaniels, who was Brady’s offensive coordinator for several years at the Patriots.
The Raiders have issues, mostly on defense, and they will need resolving, but they are probably closer to being a future playoff contender than the Bucs right now. This is assuming that the NFC South Division cannot be as poor next year as it was this year.
Brady in the Bay?
A more intriguing option could be the San Francisco 49ers. Jimmy Garoppolo will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and is likely to move on, leaving the Niners with two quarterbacks on rookie contracts, Brock Purdy and the injured Trey Lance.
There is plenty to recommend the 49ers to Brady. The franchise boasts one of the most complete rosters in the NFL, with excellent defense, a strong offensive line, and a solid run game. Given that Brady’s home base is San Mateo, around 30 km from Levi’s Stadium, playing his football in the Bay area would make a lot of sense.
There are obvious problems with the 49ers, however. For a start, they are still in the playoffs. If they were to win a Super Bowl with Brock Purdy, they could hardly cast him aside in favor of Brady. We also can’t be sure which direction the franchise will want to go in.
Call it a Day and Head Home
There is, of course, still the retirement option, the option that everyone thought Brady had taken last year before he changed his mind and came back to Tampa Bay.
Brady has defied the usual rules of pro sports aging, but there were worrying signs when he played against Dallas that he may have reached the point where even he is no longer able to defy the inevitable. Given his reputation for always delivering under pressure in the big games, his performance in the Wild Card game was alarming. His reactions seemed slow, and his willingness to take the big hits diminished.
His reputation and his status have been built on winning, on being the best. He is clearly no longer the best quarterback in the NFL, the league is moving on, and he has been losing as much as winning in recent months. Attempting to play on in these circumstances could tarnish his reputation, and more significantly, would produce a series of humiliations against younger quarterbacks. Brady deserves better than to go out like that, and retirement may be the better option.