Tom Brady: Greatest of All Time?

By Ral Reyes ’21

Image Credit: People.com

On Feb. 7, we witnessed Tom Brady win his 7th Super Bowl title, which officially establishes him as the most dominant player in NFL history. He alone surpasses both the Steelers and Patriots organizations who are tied for the most rings by an organization at six rings each. Tom Brady has proved to everyone that no one can stop him, not even his father’s time. Before this season, people thought that he was crazy for going to the Buccaneers, considering that he was a member of the Patriots franchise since the day he was drafted. Everyone thought that it was impossible for Brady to win another ring with the Buccaneers because he was a system quarterback. A system quarterback is a player who can only play well when under the guidance of a specific coach. The Brady doubters believed that Brady without Belichick would never be successful; however, Brady proved his naysayers wrong and took the Buccaneers, a team that has not been in the playoffs since 2007, to its second-ever Super Bowl appearance in team history.

Last year, The Buccaneers posted a 7-9 record with Jameis Winston at quarterback who led the league in interceptions; however, the head coach, Bruce Arians believed that his team had all of the weapons necessary to win a championship. The only missing piece was a quarterback who can lead their team to the Super Bowl. This leader was Tom Brady.
 
Tom Brady from the very start of his Tampa Bay career worked extremely hard towards improving his craft despite being twice the age of some of his teammates. This attitude became infectious throughout the Buccaneers organization, and his teammates became inspired by his continued commitment and effort to the game. Tom Brady, the oldest starter to win a Super Bowl, now 43 years old, was able to win his 7th Super Bowl ring against Patrick Mahomes (25 years old).
 
However, the question still persists. When will Tom Brady retire? Tom Brady will be entering the final year of his two-year contract with the Buccaneers and has provided no indication of retiring after his contract expires. Tom Brady stated after winning this past Super Bowl, in response to a question alluding to his potential retirement, “Yeah, we are coming back. You know that”. From this statement, we see that Tom Brady is not going anywhere, and he will be back on the Buccaneers next season where he will try to win his 8th championship ring. Tom Brady continues to play the sport he loves and has established himself as the greatest player of all-time through his continued display of excellence on the football field.