Is Tom Brady playing tonight against Houston Texans?

The pre-season is that time of the year, when coaches are in a catch-22 situation trying to decide if starters like Tom Brady deserve time taking snaps. One band of believers says that it is heresy to start elite players like Tom Brady, who you know will step it up in the regular season, lest they get injured. The other equally obstinate bunch are adamant that should their starters not play the final preseason game, it would be a disastrous come the regular season due to a lack of match practice.

Should Tom Brady play?

NFL fans would, of course, be hoping that Tom Brady plays. He is a superstar and the face of the league. Seeing him play would mean getting the ticket price's worth in return.

The year-end Top 50 player sales list is here and @tombrady is sitting at the top 🔥 His dominance in retail includes topping the NFLPA’s year-end chart a record four times and appearing among the top three 23 times since the list was introduced in 2014: https://t.co/YKNIIM6dhF. pic.twitter.com/jEQqBZ2Vyv
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) April 28, 2021

From a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan perspective too, they will be hoping Tom Brady plays. This season is unique for him in that this is the first time in a long while that he had to spend time in rehab after a surgery, since he had to have one to get the MCL fixed that was bothering him last season. This brings its own rustiness and fans will be hoping that Tom Brady plays in the final preseason game against the Houston Texans to brush it off.

Will Tom Brady play?

Fans can count themselves lucky that head coach Bruce Arians seems to think the same way as them. He had already displayed his hand early in the preseason when he said that he would use the second game of the preseason to play back-up players and to get a better idea of the roster depth. He had simultaneously also confirmed that in the third preseason game, which is this game against the Texans, he will bring back his starters, including Tom Brady, to hit the ground running going into the regular season.

However Tom Brady and starters will play a “significant” amount in the third and final preseason game at Houston. https://t.co/ePftV6bo2I
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) August 17, 2021

So expect Tom Brady to come back in and lead the team out. He may even play a couple of quarters in full. Fans should however not have too high an expectation as Bruce Arians may not use this game to try out new concepts. Rather, he may use it simply to get his starters into match fitness.

Thus, irrespective of how long Tom Brady plays in this match, a win or loss in this game will not give any indication of the fortunes of either team going into the regular season.