"Cowboys are in a better position right now to win" - Michael Irvin reckons Tom Brady's personal struggles will affect Buccaneers in Week 1
Tom Brady's career is teetering on the edge of a knife in the eyes of many.
Brady has endured a tumultuous offseason wracked with change. Many are now worried about the quarterback's ability to be as focused in 2022 as he had been in the previous 20 years of his career.
Last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to defeat the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 1 matchup. However, one NFL analyst has claimed that the Cowboys hold an advantage coming into this year's game.
Speaking on "First Take," Michael Irvin claimed that Tom Brady is having a life event that could knock him off his game:
"Whatever he's going through, he's going through something. And after 11 days away, when he came back, the first statement he made, I was like, ‘Okay, it's still with him.’"
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Irvin went on to hint that the timing of their meeting with the Buccaneers was good for the Cowboys and bad for Brady:
"That's the one thing I am worried about too with Tom, the great leader. Where will Tom be [mentally] going into Week 1? For Week 1, the Dallas Cowboys are in a better position right now to win this football game."
This is just a testament to the family, teammates, coaches, staff, and every single one of you who've supported me along the way. Thank you all. Let's go get another one. @Buccaneers twitter.com/NFL/status/156…
The Buccaneers will take on the Cowboys on Sunday, September 11.
Tom Brady's year of indecision
2022 will be remembered by most as the year of indecision for Tom Brady.
At the start of the calandar year, the Buccaneers superstar seemed to be as focused as ever. However, soon after the final whistle in the playoff loss against the Los Angeles Rams, Brady soon found himself on a path of change.
It started when he announced his retirement from the game before the snow melted. Just six weeks later, with much of the American landscape still colored white, Brady announced his return.
Rumors then emerged that he was planning to join the Miami Dolphins as a minority owner but got cold feet when Brian Flores' lawsuit kicked into high gear.
Without a backup plan, Tom Brady returned to football. That said, he wasn't done thinking about his future as he soon signed a mammoth 10-year deal with FOX to call games for the network. The deal is set to kick in once Brady steps away from the game for good, though that date remains unknown.
The story of the offseason didn't end there, as he then went on to take a publicly unexpected 11-day hiatus from training camp for unknown reasons.
After such a noteworthy offseason for all the wrong reasons, many believe 2022 will be Tom Brady's final season. Will he continue into 2023 or will this season serve as a bonus the Buccaneers should never have gotten?
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit First Take and H/T Sportskeeda.