Long ago, there was a widely accepted opinion that Tom Brady was too thin, slow and unathletic to be an NFL quarterback.
He crushed it.
After he had some success, there was a perception that he was a system quarterback.
He overcame that, winning with different styles of offense and making 10 different players his annual receiving leaders.
At one point, there was a doubt that he won because he played with football.
He came under a lot of scrutiny after serving a four-game suspension after having the best season of his career and winning the Super Bowl.
There was a perception that he only won because he was coached by the most successful coach in the NFL.
Brady erased it by going 32-18 and winning a Super Bowl without him, while the coach went 25-25 without the playoffs.
Some people thought Brady was a little silly with his recovery pajamas, 8:30 bedtime, Transcendental Meditation, rubber band workouts and avocado ice cream.
Brady made up for it by playing longer than anyone in league history except for three kickers.
In 23 years, Brady has beaten everyone, including every quarterback from Kurt Warner to Patrick Mahomes. He had an 11-6 lead against Peyton Manning. Brady beat out Bill Belichick to return to his New England home in 2021. He beat every team he played against during the 2007 regular season — the only team to go 16-0 in the regular season. He beat the Bills, the poor Bills, over and over again – his record against them was 33-3. In the Super Bowl, Brady beat the Rams (twice), Panthers, Eagles, Seahawks, Falcons and Chiefs. He has won more games than any football player in history.
Brady also beat the one thing no one else could – time.
On Wednesday, Brady announced his retirement – for the second time but “for good” now.
What’s important to understand is that Brady didn’t quit because of what he couldn’t do.
Many have been waiting for more than a decade now for the obvious, physical decline of the 45-year-old. The reality is it never came. 45 looks like 25 Brady, who wore his college shoulder pads until the end.
Almost always, athletes retire because their ability to do the things they do is compromised by the same mortal forces that make us all weak. Brady’s body wasn’t failing him. When a quarterback’s body fails, they can’t stay on the field. It’s been 15 years since Brady missed a game because he wasn’t healthy enough to play.
In 2022, Brady’s arm hasn’t suddenly lost strength. He set NFL records for attempts and completions in a season. The league’s quarterbacks with the most passing yards this season were Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.
Matt Ryan, eight years younger, looked much older. So did Russell Wilson, 34.
It’s true that Brady didn’t lift his team like he has in the past, but the Bucs made the playoffs. And even though they finished 8-9, they would have been much worse with many other quarterbacks. Brady led the game-winning drive for the Bucs to make it five victories.
When there is a crime struggle, there are always more criminals. Brady wasn’t as dominant as he has been in the past, but that probably wasn’t a given given the Bucs’ ineptitude in pass protection, the run game and play calling.
The Bucs would love to have him back. If he wanted to go elsewhere, he would have had offers from several teams. He could call his shots, maybe pick his plays and receivers.
Proving doubters wrong and redefining the impossible have always been his motivations. Brady could do it again as one of the best passers in the game, perhaps the most valuable player on a Super Bowl-winning team.
As good as Brady was this season, you know he thought he was good. That’s how he became Brady, and he certainly didn’t lose confidence.
If Brady missed anything, it was joy.
From his 11-day absence in training camp, to his Instagram announcement that he was getting a divorce, to his sideline fits, to his news conference in the Bucks’ playoff loss to the Cowboys, the entire season seemed to be missing. Yes, Brady had “a lot of things” going on.
It’s ironic that Brady lost his joy because he gave it to so many for so long.
Hopefully he’ll find it in the next round.