A day after the Buccaneers suffered a 21-3 loss to the Panthers in Carolina, quarterback Tom Brady recorded his latest Let’s Go! podcast.
Jim Gray asked Brady if he’s still loving the game.
“Absolutely,” Brady said. “I was saying to Alex [Guerrero] this morning, I was doing treatment, man, it’s a hard sport we’ve chosen and it’s tough. It challenges you in every area, physically, mentally and emotionally. And certainly at this stage we’re in, this is where you’ve got to dig deep and see what you’re all about and see what kind of character you have and see what you believe in and your values as a team. Do you stand up for each other when you face adversity or do you not? That’s what we’re all trying to figure out every time we take the field.”
They’ll be figuring it out, or not, in three nights -- when the Ravens come to town.
Gray also asked Brady about the hypothetical conversation that Simms and I had last week as to whether Brady would retire during the season.
“I said last week that there’s no immediate retirement in my future,” Brady said. “There was a retirement in the past, but I moved on from that. But certainly not, you know, I’ve never, you know, I made a commitment to this team and I love this team and I love this organization. I told them in March I was playing and I’ve never quit on anything in my life. And I know a bunch of teammates that we all count on one another to be at our best and to work hard and to put the team first. And that’s what you commit to and that’s what you want your teammates to commit to as well. And I was a part of an amazing organization that taught me so many great things over 20 years in New England. And I was a part of a great college that it was always about the team. And when I got to the Bucs I’ve had nothing but a great experience here. I just, I want to keep fighting as hard as I can and I’m always trying to do better. I’m always trying to work hard and I’m always trying to commit more to the things that are important to me. And this team is very important to me and I certainly want to be the best I can be for them.”
So he’s not retiring during the season. And he’s holding out hope that the Bucs can turn things around.
Maybe they will. Even at 3-4, the Bucs are tied for first place in the NFC South. And if they get a seat at the playoff table, having Brady makes a difference could help them run the table, again.
Remember this -- they won the Super Bowl in 2020 as the No. 5 seed in the NFC. If they win the division, they’ll be the No. 4 seed, at worst.
