Getty Tom Brady dropped another hint on his NFL future.
Former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady added more clarity about his NFL future in an Instagram post after a recent NFLPA rookie event.
“Now that I’ve come to the end of my 23 year journey I am so excited to watch and help the next group reach their potential as athletes, as teammates, and men working to bring the best out of themselves and the communities they represent,” Brady wrote via Instagram. “We got to spend many hours, talking, learning, and discussing what it takes to be your best. In my opinion, hard work, and consistent discipline are two critical ingredients to that formula.”
Brady’s post came after a lunch meeting with rookie quarterbacks Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis plus Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, and rapper Travis Scott on May 18. The group mainly discussed brand building and entrepreneurship according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and Brady gave pointers on playing in the NFL.
“When something goes wrong with Trav, or Mike with his company, with me, the only thing you can do is work harder, man,” Brady said in a video from the meeting. “The only thing you can do is work harder. Defeats can’t make you work less hard. I think that’s the point. When [explicative] hits the fan, you gotta change the energy. You gotta put more into it. Never less into it.”
“Every day you’re gonna wake up and just keep attacking it. Be curious. Be humble and work hard,” Brady added.
While Brady retired from the NFL “for good” on February 1, rumors of another unretirement by Brady persisted early in the offseason because of his short retirement in 2022. Instead, Brady has stayed occupied with off-field ventures and a possible ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported on Monday, May 22, that the Brady-Raiders deal has been “submitted to the NFL for approval” but “wont’ be done at the spring [owners’] meeting”. If that goes through, he won’t play for the team according to ESPN’s Schefter and Seth Wickersham.
Tom Brady Relates His Experience to Rookies
Brady offered his football wisdom from 23 years in the NFL amid seven Super Bowls wins and 10 appearances despite his career beginning as a sixth-round pick. He played 20 years for the Patriots before a three-year stint to end his career with the Bucs at age 45, an NFL record for full-time starting quarterbacks.
“Going in the second round, in the end, it’s not that big of a deal,” Brady said, addressing Levis, who slid into the second round despite first round hype.
“Going first overall, in the end, it’s not a big deal,” Brady said to Young, the No. 1 pick. “It’s great, you got opportunity, you’re probably going to get paid more than anyone for a time period, but I was drafted 199 and I just outlasted everybody. There’s another me back there, right, so how do I keep my edge over everybody? I had to keep working. I didn’t go, ‘Hey, I’m good. I won three Super Bowls, I’m good.'”
Tom Brady’s Final Season Could Get Judged in 2023
Brady left no doubt about his impact in New England after he left in 2020 as a free agent. The Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since Brady led them to a Lombardi Trophy in 2018.
It could turn out differently in Tampa, JoeBucsFan.com pointed out. The Bucs buckled in 2022 amid Brady’s only losing season as a starter — at any level — as he dealt with a high-profile divorce off of the field and subpar play on the field.
“But while Joe thinks Brady is the greatest quarterback of all-time, Joe believes Brady still has one more season of judgment before him,” JoeBucsFan.com wrote. “Fair or not, there will be scrutiny of Brady based on how the Bucs perform in their first season without him.”