"He's made stuff work when it seemed like he couldn't" - Stephen A. Smith not ruling out Tom Brady from 2022 NFL MVP race
Tom Brady has an uphill climb to become the 2022 NFL regular season MVP. But Stephen A. Smith revealed on ESPN First Take that he believes the 44-year-old could become the oldest MVP in the league's history.
Smith was confident enough in proclaiming victory prematurely three months ahead of the opening kickoff in September:
"We said, 'Would Tom Brady put up another MVP-caliber season?' I'm saying to you that I've seen this brother - One of the things that make him so brilliant is not just his talent but how brilliant he is as a football mind and how he maximizes the talent around him. In other words, he's made stuff work when it seemed like he couldn't. So I'm saying, 'It's June. It's Tom Brady'..."
There are a few celebrity golfers featured on this #NFL MVP oddsboard...
Josh Allen +650
Justin Herbert +900
Joe Burrow +1000
Patrick Mahomes +1000
Tom Brady +1000
Aaron Rodgers +1400
Russell Wilson +1400
Jalen Hurts +1600
Matthew Stafford +1600
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Brady has gained talent in the WR room and could soon see the return of his close friend Rob Gronkowski, who is yet to re-sign with the Buccaneers. Gronkowski said he will play only for Tampa Bay if he were to play a 12th season, and claimed in April that it'd only take him a few weeks to get back into game-shape:
“I feel like I can get ready at any time for football, like it’ll take me two weeks only. So, I’m not really worried about it. It’s just cool just to be doing other things and enjoying them.”
The Bucs are reportedly 'optimistic' about Gronkowski returning in 2022. 'Gronk' has collected 100 catches and 13 TDs during his two-year stint in West Central Florida.
Report: Buccaneers feel optimistic about Rob Gronkowski’s return to Tampa Bay. #Bucs si.com/nfl/buccaneers…
Marcus Spears doesn't believe in Tom Brady's 2022 NFL MVP chances
On the flipside, Stephen A. Smith's ESPN First Take co-host Marcus Spears believes the competition is too stiff for Brady to win his fourth NFL regular season MVP award:
"The New Orleans Saints have beaten Tom Brady's head against goalposts every time they play, except the playoffs. Stephen A., listen to this, just like I, you know, like you watch me, I watch you and we talk about basketball, right? And we were having a conversation about Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic' and how at the end of the year they played each other and you factored that into what some people would make that decision based on. Right. So now you have Aaron Rodgers and Matt Stafford in the NFC, who, more than likely, are going to play either at the same level or at an even level as Brady."
Brady is entering his first season in Tampa without former Bucs HC Bruce Arians, who he famously clashed with. He has an improved cast around him offensively, while his key weapons (with Gronkowski pending) remain.