Does Tom Brady belong in the Buccaneers' Ring of Honor?
Tom Brady showed up in Florida and immediately led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Super Bowl glory last season. The franchise had not even been to the postseason since the 2007 season, but Brady showed up with championship expectations and delivered.
He replaced Jameis Winston, who was once seen as the franchise's savior after being drafted No. 1 overall. But there was just no passing up on the chance to land Brady.
An interesting point was raised on Twitter by several Buccaneers beat writers. It has to do with the question of whether Brady already has an assured spot in the team's Ring of Honor.
If he doesn’t play another snap in pewter, he’s already the best QB in franchise history. He’s a Ring of Honor lock. twitter.com/gregauman/stat…
The consensus from those covering him is that even if he retires right now, he is already a Buccaneers legend. But is that truly the case after only two seasons with the team?
Where does Tom Brady stand in Buccaneers history?
The franchise does not have a rich history in the quarterback position. Trent Dilfer has the most wins of any quarterback with 38. He finished a perfect .500 at 38-38. Following him is Doug Williams with 33 wins.
Brady is already at 24 and could easily approach a total of 38 if he comes back for another season. Two more seasons with the team would see him shatter the record held by Dilfer.
Then there are total touchdowns. Brady is second behind Winston with 83. The former No. 1 pick Winston had 121 touchdowns passes in 72 games. Again, Brady could seize the record if he comes back for even one more season.
But the most important mark of all is his Super Bowl win. Last year's championship was not the first in franchise history. That came back during the 2002 season when Brad Johnson lined up under center. The veteran won the Super Bowl and also made the Pro Bowl that season, finishing the year with 22 touchdown passes and just over 3,000 yards. Brady had 40 touchdowns and 4,633 yards in the 2020 season.
Most playoff Pass TD in the Super Bowl Era
Packers 99
Patriots 94
Cowboys 89
Steelers 89
Tom Brady 85
49ers 82
Raiders 70 https://t.co/wNCezMhs7L
Brady is an all-time great and his play has not slowed down one bit since he joined the Buccaneers. So yes, it would make sense for him to join the team's Ring of Honor after only two seasons. The goal of any NFL franchise is to win a Super Bowl, and when that happens, the key figures from the championship run are immortalized.
Brady was the key figure and his achievements will never be forgotten. That is true even if he does not win the Super Bowl again this year and decides to retire.
The legendary quarterback is already set for all the honors in New England. He may have to book a flight to Florida around the same time to receive his distinctions in Tampa.