Buccaneers' Tom Brady Knows the End is Near

After hinting at retirement in 2022, Brady is back, just not for long...

If Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady were made into a roller coaster it'd take a long time to leave the loading station, but would get off to a fast start once it did. 

Then, it'd be an exhilarating ride of several peaks with a couple of loops in it that make you feel like the ride can't possibly make it to the top of the track, just to do so. 

After a while it would take a sharp southern turn, before shooting right back to the top of the park, before coming to an abrupt end. Oh wait, then it would restart again, to the enjoyment of all involved. 

Along the way, you may even pick up some more experienced park passengers who have never experienced this specific ride. 

Eventually, however, it would have to end. As will Brady's career. 

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A fact illustrated in my possibly overly elaborate roller coaster analogy, and the quarterback's own words in an interview with ESPN, according to staff writer Tom VanHaaren. 

"I know I don't have a lot left, I really do. I know I'm at the end of my career," Brady told ESPN. "I wish you could go forever, but it's just not and football comes at too high of a cost now. My kids are getting older and it's just getting harder and harder to miss these things."

"But, I wanted to give myself and my teammates and our organization another incredible opportunity to accomplish something that we'd all be very proud of."

Since the beginning of rumors in January that Brady was seriously considering retirement, I contended the best way for the Buccaneers to ensure he came back would be to win another Super Bowl. 

While many see the appeal of going out on top, I felt the allure of winning three in a row would be too strong for Brady to walk away. 

If the Bucs didn't win a second championship in a row, the door would be open for the greatest of all time to walk away. 

And he almost did. 

"I knew my body, physically, could still do what it could do and obviously I have a love for the game, I think I'll always have a love for the game," Brady said about coming back for 2022. "I do think physically I'll be able to do it. I just felt like there was still a place for me on the field."

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That love for the game, and appreciation for the fact he can still do at nearly 45-years of age what most can't at 25, may have brought him back. But make no mistake, this isn't a nostalgia tour. One last trip around campus before graduation to relive old memories. 

No, Brady and the Bucs aren't looking for the highlight reels of appreciation from opposing teams. They want to add to the reel historians will play for decades to come. 

"At the end of the day, I just love the competition on the field," said Brady. "And last year was a very bitter ending to a season and we've got to make a lot of corrections to try to improve and put ourselves in a better position to succeed moving forward."

For more on this and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers check out James Yarcho and David Harrison on the Locked On Bucs Podcast!