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With every week that passes, it’s becoming more apparent things aren’t right in Tampa Bay. The team has just looked out of sorts all season. Tampa Bay is still on a course for the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean all is well. Quite the opposite.
Tom Brady in particular just seems to be done with it all. On the surface he’s handling it like a pro. He puts on a smile in front of cameras, says the right things, cracks some jokes.
The cracks in the foundation are there though. You’ve seen it all season. Brady losing his cool. His frustration with teammates and coaches is very visible. Now more than ever he just looks so frustrated with his situation.
Granted, Tom has been going through a very public divorce. Divorce is never easy, but it’s especially difficult when millions of eyes are watching. It’s the curse of stardom really. All your problems are on display for the world. Tom can’t really catch a break.
Football is his escape, and right now the Bucs are playing lousy. The organization is in disarray. Although I have nothing against Todd Bowles, it’s clear he’s not the guy for Brady.
That’s not to say Bruce Arians was the perfect match. At least with Arians he was an offensive coach. He was more in tune with Brady’s vision, at least in year one.
The Bucs are 6-6, but that record doesn’t paint the real picture. Tampa Bay is the oldest team in football, and has offense that genuinely struggles to score. The Bucs rank 27th in points per game with just 18.1.
They rank in the bottom half of the league in almost every major offensive category. They have the worst rushing offense in football. Their passing numbers are alright, but they are inflated because Brady throws 43.8 times per game. That’s the most in the league.
The team has no cap space in the offseason. Their draft picks won’t be that valuable. Tampa Bay is stuck. It’s for that reason I believe Tom is done.
If Brady can leave New England after 20 years because he wasn’t in love with the situation, you best believe he’ll do it to Tampa. Especially after just three years.
Brady doesn’t have a ton more football ahead of him. I doubt he’ll want to spend his final years on this chaotic squad that will only get worse.
I’m a firm believer in “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” In the last month, the rumors of Brady leaving have been increasing. It’s not just from random people either. It’s big named people in the sports media landscape. People with reliable sources.
The writing is on the wall. Tampa Bay will make the playoffs because the NFC South sucks. It feels like most those teams actively are trying NOT to win the division.
Maybe they grab a playoff win off an unsuspecting team thanks to their defense. That’s about it. This team is not good enough to make a deep run. Even in a weak NFC, the Bucs are not that good of a team. They’ll get handled fairly early on.
With so many better options out there, why would Brady stay? Teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, and yes, the New England Patriots will be interested. All of those teams are better suited for the next few years than Tampa Bay.
Tom is done in Florida. It’s only a matter of time before he’s on the move somewhere else.
