The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are officially two seasons removed from achieving the peak of NFL success after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII Sunday night. And the fact is that it may be a long time before the Buccaneers and their supporters have another chance.
We’re also now 12 days away from Tom Brady, the greatest football player of all time, formally declaring his retirement from the National Football League.
Gonna be tough saying goodbye to the goat https://t.co/7d0VcQNvSC
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) February 12, 2023
As the football world finally moves on from Tom Brady’s era — and Patrick Mahomes’ quest for greatness continues — now is as good a time to reminisce on the final chapter of Tom Brady’s long NFL career: the one in which he became the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tom Brady’s accomplishments in New England deserve more credit than what can be represented on paper with words and numbers. His 13 Conference Championships, nine Super Bowls, six Lombardi trophies, four Super Bowl MVP titles, and three NFL MVP awards speak for themselves. When it comes to his twenty seasons as the quarterback of the New England Patriots., his success was unprecedented and his greatness was undeniable.
Brady’s first game as a Buccaneer got off to a shaky start. His first game in pewter and red ended in a double-digit loss against Tampa’s most hated divisional rival, the New Orleans Saints.
In Super Bowl 55, Brady was surgical, operating with calm feet, keen eyes, and precise precision, picking apart the Chiefs’ defense with incredible efficacy throughout the game. He did it the same way he had done it against the Buccaneers’ last eight opponents, with his team winning each of those games.
However, the game on February 7th, 2020 was clearly different from the previous victories. This was the day Tom Brady revived the Buccaneers franchise.
This was the day Tom Brady led this version of the Buccaneers into the most important battle they had ever been a part of, and they defeated the defending Super Bowl Champions at home, in front of their home fans.
Brady’s time as a Buccaneer was filled with success, disappointment, moments we’ll never forget, and those we’d rather forget. But Tom Brady’s legacy in Tampa will not be defined by how it ended. It will be remembered for the way it started.
