Now, of course, at a time like this nobody has their eye really keened in on sports with this pandemic of COVID-19, but let me catch you up on the ever-changing NFL so when the sport starts back up you aren\’t too out of the loop with things. I feel as though there is one change that everybody should have noticed with this player being moved from his NFL born franchise and parting ways with them. People, I am referring to none other than NFL legend Tom Brady. After playing 20 years for the same successful franchise the New England Patriots, Brady decides to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This new scene for Brady means that NFL fans will have to adapt to seeing him in that jersey. At first, it just won\’t seem right. After playing two decades in the same jersey it seemed as though Brady was on the same path as a Kobe Bryant or Dirk Nowitzki who played their entire career with the team they started with.
However, Brady is not the only \”G.O.A.T\” (GREATEST OF ALL TIME) to ever make a last-second trade before ultimately deciding to hang up the cleats. As many know NFL legend and Hall of Famer Brett Favre played his illustrious career with the Green Bay Packers before Aaron Rodgers took over and toward the tail end of his career he decided to play his last few seasons in New York as a Jet and Atlanta as a Falcon. Farve also played 20 years in the league just like Brady, which makes Brady\’s loyalty to the franchise even more impressive. Another widely regarded \”G.O.A.T., Jerry Rice who many perceive to be the greatest wide receiver of all time, decided to part ways after his stint with his NFL born team. Rice played the majority of his year as a San Francisco 49er playing 16 seasons/years with the same team. The numbers speak for themselves as Rice is the all-time receptions leader in the NFL with total receptions that also coincide with his all-time number in receiving touchdowns with 197. Great numbers and a great player nonetheless, after 14 seasons with San Francisco, Rice at 39 years of age wasn\’t producing the same numbers, left after two more seasons to play with the Oakland Raiders where he ultimately retired in 2004 after two amazing last seasons.
There\’s another quarterback who resembles Brady and also in discussion of the \”G.O.A.T\” as far as loyalty to a franchise and success in the league is concerned. That quarterback is none other than Peyton Manning playing 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts only missing one season with that team. Manning is the only person I have mentioned so far who has won a ring elsewhere besides his NFL born team; winning a Super Bowl with the Colts back in 2006. I feel like we should all remember the Super Bowl victory for Manning in 2015 with him on the Denver Broncos just on the cusp of his retirement. Although not much of a force as he was in Indianapolis, Manning had enough to bring himself and that stout defense that Denver had in 2015.
With the legacy he\’s left in New England many are wondering how much gas Brady has in the tank. With this move catching many NFL fans off guard, it seems as though Tampa Bay is where Brady will ultimately cement his legacy. It will also be entertaining to see how Brady operates now that Bill Belichick isn\’t at the helm of things. Either way, by the time things get back to their regularly scheduled programs it will be exhilarating to see what the outcome will be.