"People do a lot for half the amount that he's about to get" - Former NFL player confident Tom Brady will retire after 2022 NFL season
Tom Brady will begin his 23rd season in the league once the 2022-23 NFL season begins. It was recently announced that the seven-time Super Bowl champion would be joining the FOX network as an analyst once he decides to end his football career.
Several sources, including Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, have reported that the FOX deal is for 10 years and $375 million.
Several casual observers, including Brady's former teammate Rob Ninkovich, are of the mindset that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback will retire at the end of the season. Here's what Ninkovich had to say on ESPN's Get Up:
“For the amount of money that's waiting for him after this season, he'd better retire after this year. People do a lot for half the amount that he's about to get, so I definitely wouldn't be playing football anymore if I was going to make more on the other end on the backside of it. "
Ninkovich hoped that Brady would give his best this season and that the Buccaneers would go deep into the playoffs.
"I think he's probably going to give it his (last) best shot and hopefully they take it deep into the playoffs. It's obviously a Super Bowl. But come on now...to play two or three more years and have that contract waiting for him afterwards. I don’t know if that's going to happen.”
If the report from Ninkovich is accurate, then the Buccaneers will leave no stone unturned in their attempt to win an eighth Super Bowl for Tom Brady and a third for the franchise.
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers look to avenge last season's playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams
The 2021 season for the Buccaneers did not go as planned after a season-opening victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
The team had a terrific regular season by winning the NFC South with an overall record of 13-4 and defeated the Philadelphia Eagles by 31-15 in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
The Buccaneers then faced off against the eventual champions, the Los Angeles Rams, at home inside Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay played poorly and found themselves in a 27-3 deficit but stormed back to tie the score at 27 late in the fourth quarter.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford led the final drive down the field for a field goal to win 30-27. After the game, many speculated that Brady might decide to hang up his cleats, which he did briefly for 41 days.
But during his "retirement," many believed the three-time NFL MVP had unfinished business as he had played at an extremely high level in 2021. Brady passed for 5,316 yards, the best of his career and top in the league. He also threw for 43 touchdowns, the second-best of his career, to just 12 interceptions for a quarterback rating of 68.1, which was second in the NFL.
With so much proverbial meat left on the bone, Brady returned. Assuredly, he will be pumped to avenge the loss to the Rams. After all, how often does Tom Brady have something to chase and shoot for? This season promises to be intriguing for Brady and the Buccaneers.