Despite Brady’s age, he has shown no signs of slowing down
By: Adam Hulse (@AdamHulseSports)
Tom Brady will be 44 years old when the 2021 NFL season begins and his quest for an unbelievable 8th Super Bowl ring kicks off. After all, he did just win his 7th last season so there is no reason to believe that he can’t do it again. He is crushing all of the usual trends when it comes to age and peak performance in the league. For most players, at 44 years old they would be long retired by now, or at the very least they would be performing as a much less version of their prime. For Brady, he is still just as good as he’s ever been.
Traditional standards can’t be applied when looking at the career and trying to predict the future of Brady in the NFL. He is in a league of his own when it comes to accomplishments, and he continues to prove the doubters wrong about how long he can perform at the level he is on. Not only could Brady continue to be competitive on every level of the NFL, but he could even win more Super Bowls before the conclusion of his historic career. Here are some reasons why.
No Regression
Not only did Brady have a good season at the age of 43 last year, but it was actually one of the best of his entire career statistically. He threw for his most passing yards in a season since 2015 and his most touchdowns since 2007. In fact, it was only the second time in his career that he threw 40 or more touchdown passes in a season. His efficiency was impressive as well, completing 65.7 of his passes with a 102.2 passer rating, both of which are significantly higher than his career averages.
Obviously, compared to himself in previous seasons he was as good as ever last year and even better than most years. When comparing him to the rest of the current NFL, his numbers stack up just as well. His 4633 yards ranked third in the league while his 40 touchdowns ranked second. This proves that he is not just serviceable at his age, but he is still among the top quarterbacks in the NFL.
Elite Team
Not only is Brady a good enough quarterback currently to continue to compete for Super Bowls, but the Tampa Bay Bucs are an elite team. They have one of the best rosters in the NFL paired with a solid coaching staff lead by Bruce Arians. Brady operates behind one of the best offensive lines in the league and has an abundance of weapons as well. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are one of the best wide receiver tandems in the league while Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones are a very respectable backfield. As a team last year, they ranked 7th in the NFL in total yards per game and 3rd in points per game.
To go with their top-tier offense, they also had one of the best defenses in the league last year. They ranked 6th in yards allowed per game and 8th in points allowed per game. What makes the Bucs one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl again this year, is the fact that they could justifiably be an even better team this upcoming season than they were last year. They are returning all of their key players, so another year of chemistry may raise their production even higher. When Tom Brady is leading the way there is always a shot to win it all, but with this solid of a team around him, the Bucs are a real threat to repeat.
The Reign Continues
Until somebody can knock him off of his throne, the reign of Brady in the NFL will continue. To put the cherry on top of his seventh Super Bowl championship run last season, he beat the elite class of quarterbacks in the playoffs to get it done including Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees. Brady has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down any time soon and there’s no reason to believe that he will not be elite once again this year.
The Bucs are one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl again, and nobody should be surprised if they do exactly that. At this rate, it appears that the only thing that can stop Brady is if he ever decides to just retire. He’s still here for now and just as capable as ever of winning more Super Bowls. He is truly a legend, and his story is not yet finished.
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