Tom Brady, NFL legend, may or may not be retiring. But if he were, here’s all the things he could possibly opt for instead.
The 2022 Tom Brady NFL season was one of the worst in his illustrious career and it raises the question of whether he will ride off into the sunset with his status as the GOAT already cemented. Brady opted to U-turn on his decision to retire at the end of the 2021 campaign, just 40 days after making his announcement.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were widely backed to make a run for the Super Bowl due to his return, but a challenge never come close to materializing. The Buccaneers won the NFC South with a losing record but were unceremoniously dumped out of the playoffs in a 31-14 hammering at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round.
What happens now?
Brady is now out of contract with the Buccaneers and will have the attention of a number of teams in free agency, who are looking to win immediately. The Las Vegas Raiders are among the leading contenders for his signature due to his relationship with Josh McDaniels.
However, it remains to be seen whether Brady would pursue a return to the AFC Conference given the levels of talent competing for the Super Bowl pace with the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills always among the favorites for the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the start of every season.
Even in the 2022 campaign, an AFC Conference team is backed at -155 to win the Super Bowl, at least according to www.bodog.eu/sports/football/nfl, ahead of their NFC rivals, highlighting the strength of the teams in the Conference. It might strengthen the case for Brady to call time on his career as he has more than enough going on elsewhere.
TV
During the summer of 2022, Brady signed a futures deal with Fox Sports to become an in-game analyst on their broadcast worth up to $375m over 10 years. The likes of Tony Romo and Troy Aikman have earned huge sums from analyzing the games, securing bigger pay deals than most NFL players.
Brady seemingly has the personality to make a successful switch to the broadcast booth, and of course, his mind is second to none to have ever played the most important position in the game. There is still a commitment to travel and perform the necessary research required for up to 19 weeks of the season, but it would allow Brady to remain invested in the game without all the work in the off-season.
Ownership
Brady’s name was brought up in the Miami Dolphins’ tampering scandal, where it emerged that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross attempted to secure his signature when still a member of the New England Patriots, as per profootballtalk.NBCSports.com. Brady was allegedly offered an ownership stake if would sign with the Dolphins, but the move did not come to fruition.
There is still a chance that Brady could sign with Miami given their talent and Tua Tagovailoa’s issues with concussions. The offer could still be on the table for Brady to take a stake in the Dolphins, allowing him to remain in the NFL as the first player-owner.
Brady Brand
Brady has also delved into the world of merchandise bringing out his own clothing brand. Through his website, www.bradybrand.com, you can order T-shirts and pants for casual or working out. There has been a lot of investment in the area, and it remains to be seen whether the move will be profitable in the long term. He certainly has the marketability factor to make it a success, but there’s nothing outlandish that makes it stand out from the crowd.
TB12 Method
Brady has been the poster model for his own TB12 Method, which promotes a number of health initiatives for athletes and regular people to get the most out of their bodies. He has created 11 TB12 Centers located in the United States for people to attend and work with instructors to promote pliability and healthy living.
At the age of 45, Brady is still operating at an extremely high level on the field and could probably play until he’s 50. Whether he wants to do that is another matter. With the TB12 Method, he could still remain an active part in the NFL and others sports without being directly involved in the action.