Tom Brady has had one of the tougher seasons of his illustrious 23-year career. The Tampa Bay Bucs, considered Super Bowl contenders at the beginning of this season, have been anything but a top team and own a 6-7 losing record. The spotlight has been focused on the trials and tribulations of a 45-year-old Brady in sports and life.
Tom Brady To San Francisco 49ers In 2023?
While Brady has suffered his share of criticism for Tampa’s 6-7 record, they are still in first place in a struggling NFC South division, one game ahead of the other three teams. The seven-time Super Bowl champion has shown some of the classic late-game grit that has elevated him to iconic status as a football player and celebrity.
But Brady’s overall performance has been inconsistent and underwhelming as his old man tantrums grow significantly with every unsuccessful drive or debilitating loss.
Brady hasn’t been vintage, but with 3,585 yards passing, 17 TDs and just five picks, while completing 65.8 percent of his passes, a growing belief is that he could move on from the Bucs after this season and latch on with another Super Bowl contender, because according to NFL analyst Bart Scott, home is where the heart is. Not the one he once shared with supermodel Giselle Bündchen and their kids, but the area that birthed the legend of Tom Brady.
“I believe he’s going home (in 2023),” Scott said this week on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “Not to New England though. I think he’s going back to San Francisco. I think he’s finishes his career with a team that can carry him to the finish line. Give him a record eight Super Bowl, that will never be done again. “
And although Brady took a whipping against the Niners this past weekend, he seemed very excited about returning home to play.
Video: Tom Brady talks about how special this week is, going home to San Francisco to face a 49ers team he grew up cheering for. pic.twitter.com/ROzySavmKr
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) December 8, 2022
Will Tom Brady Return To New England Patriots In 2023?
Scott discounted New England but returning to the Patriots and finishing his breakfast would be the perfect ending to an almost impeccable career. Future Hall of Fame tight end and former teammate (2010-18, 20-21) Rob Gronkowski told Fox News that the Patriots would roll out the red carpet for TB12’s return.
“I mean, if Tom really wanted to, I’m sure that it would be all open arms to go back to New England,” Gronk said. “I would just have to say all parties would need to want it. But he has the opportunity to go wherever he would love to go. It’s Tom Brady.”
Yes, it’s Tom Brady, but next season he will be 46 years old, and he’s obviously already on the decline, despite his flashes of brilliance. Whatever team Brady joins has to be stacked with weapons and one HOF QB away from a Lombardi Trophy.
Does Bill Belichick Want Tom Brady Back In New England?
Another impediment to Brady returning to New England is Bill Belichick. The fans would welcome it, the Kraft family would embrace it, but how would Bill feel about Brady returning? They made some historical music together, but the way Brady departed, it was obvious the relationship was strained, and it was time for the Killer B’s to separate.
Could two egos so huge co-exist in the same environment for a second time? What happens to starting quarterback Mac Jones, a nominee for the 2021 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award? Do you bench him, disrupt his progress, to give Brady a worthy sendoff into retirement?
“Bill is very set in his ways. You have a first-round quarterback that’s young,” said co-host Greenie. “I would assume that the Patriots wouldn’t want to take a step backward, signing Tom Brady for one season.”
How Many Super Bowls Did Tom Brady Win In New England?
Brady won six Super Bowls in 20 seasons with New England, but it seems like the franchise has moved on. His impact on the game is undeniable and he will always be king in the Boston area.
Maybe Brady would be a great fit in San Francisco. The 49ers are loaded on every side of the ball, and all they have been lacking is a signal-caller who can make big throws in big moments. Jimmy G has been serviceable, and the verdict is still out on Trey Lance. Rookie Brock Purdie has shocked the NFL world with his two NFL performances, but is he the short-term answer to a Super Bowl?
49ers radio play-by-play announcer Greg Papa thinks the idea of the veteran quarterback returning to his hometown is “fascinating.”
“Isn’t it fascinating, though? Any other guy, you’d say, no, [but] this is the GOAT. This is Tom Brady,” Papa said during the “49ers Talk” podcast this week. “Now, the one thing that I wonder about and they would tailor the offense and they run a lot of shotgun now, but at his age. Could he make that stretch handoff and get out wide? His feet … were great last year. A little slower this year.”
It was reported that when Brady left the New England Patriots in 2020, he wanted to play for the 49ers. Seth Wickersham wrote as much in his 2021 book “It’s Better to Be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness.”
When it comes to Tom Brady, the social media mosh pit and sports shows are always thinking big. They want him to play forever, and as long as he’s suiting up there will be a team willing to bring him in and take a shot.
