"60% chance Tom Brady retires" - Shannon Sharpe believes the odds of TB12 retiring are higher than ever
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are now out of the playoffs after a 30-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. With the 44-year-old quarterback just ending his 22nd season in the league, several fans and NFL pundits anticipate that Brady may be closer to retiring than remaining in the league.
One of those people is Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe. He is also the co-host of the Fox Sports One show Undisputed, and he had this to say about the odds of the three-time NFL MVP retiring:
"You know, Skip. I believe it was 60-40 he'd come back. I've gone the other way. I think it's 40-60 I think is trending in the direction that Tom Brady is starting to see his football mortality, and it seems to me he'd become at peace. Skip, that's what you have to reconcile, you have to come to peace with that. It's gonna be a lot more difficult once the season rolls around... Skip, I'm gonna say 40% he comes back and 60% he retires."
In the quote, Sharpe is speaking to his co-host, Skip Bayless. Sharpe clearly believes that there's a 60% chance that the current NFL MVP candidate will elect to hang up his cleats.
The future Hall of Fame quarterback recently revealed a tweet that may shed some light on his mindset for this upcoming offseason.
"You win or you learn. There are no failures, only lessons. When you fall you need to pick yourself up with greater enthusiasm than you went down. Now we look back on an incredible season, learn our lessons, and get up... because even greater things are coming." #KeepGoing
You win or you learn.
There are no failures, only lessons. When you fall you need to pick yourself up with greater enthusiasm than you went down. Now we look back on an incredible season, learn our lessons, and get up... because even greater things are coming.
#KeepGoing https://t.co/tCXI3q1J5p
Will Byron Leftwich's job status be a factor in Tom Brady deciding to retire or stay with the Buccaneers?
Byron Leftwich has been the current offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2019, a full season before the three-time NFL MVP arrived.
The former Marshall University standout is rumored to be coveted by several NFL franchises as either head coach or perhaps another OC position.
The #Jaguars have scheduled an in-person interview with #Bucs OC Byron Leftwich for tomorrow, source said. With Tampa Bay out, they can hire him if they so choose.
As a matter of reference, before Brady arrived, the starting quarterback for the Buccaneers was former first-round pick Jameis Winston.
In Winston's last season as the team's quarterback, he threw for 33 touchdowns, 30 interceptions and 5,109 yards. Despite Winston's penchant for turning the ball over, the job that Leftwich did in developing the former Heisman trophy winner was considered outstanding.
The relationship between Brady and Leftwich has been awesome, according to inside sources. The reason for that could be many as the two are very close in age (Brady is 44, Leftwich is 42), and they played against each other in the league.
Leftwich was the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2003 draft for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was highly regarded as a pure passer with a cannon for an arm and played in the league until 2012.
TB12's retirement decision will likely not come down to Leftwich's choice, as they have only been together for two years.
But who knows? Stranger things have happened in the National Football League.