Presented by ZAMZOWS.
This Day In Sports…March 20, 2020:
After an incomparable 20-season run with the New England Patriots that included six Super Bowl championships and nine Super Bowl appearances, quarterback Tom Brady signs as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At the age of 42, many wondered if Brady could prosper in a system other than that of Patriots coach Bill Belichick. But Brady, the one-time sixth-round draft pick, is the greatest of all time for a reason.
Some called it the “Tompa Bay era.” Brady inked a two-year deal with the Bucs, and immediately brought his winning mojo to the culture in the Tampa Bay locker room. He wouldn’t accept anything less than total buy-in. And we were reminded of Brady’s G.O.A.T. status—again—when Brady led the Buccaneers to victory 10½ months later in Super Bowl 55. He was 21-of-29 for 201 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions and nary a sack, and he was named MVP in Tampa Bay’s 31-9 thumping of the Kansas City Chiefs. Brady became the oldest QB ever to win a Super Bowl.
Brady returned for the 2021 season at the age 44, still playing at an MVP level. He helped the Buccaneers back into the playoffs, falling to the L.A. Rams 30-27 in the divisional round after a comeback fell short. It was during the rally that Brady threw what he later called the best pass of his career, a 55-yard touchdown bomb to Mike Evans over star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. “I threw over the top of Jalen to Mike, perfectly in stride for a walk-in touchdown. It was a perfect spiral,” Brady said. “The trajectory was perfect. The ball just pierced through the air. And I could tell as soon as I let it go, it was going to be a perfect throw.”
Brady retired in early 2022, but that lasted only 40 days. His competitive drive told him he could play as a 45-year-old, so he did—for one last season. But a lot was stacked against him. Brady suffered rotator cuff and finger injuries, although he didn’t miss any games. He was also dealing with his divorce from Gisele Bundchen. The Buccaneers finished 8-9, the only losing season of Brady’s career, but still won the AFC South. His final game came in the NFC Wild Card, a 31-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on January 16, 2023.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
