The 3 Reasons Why Tom Brady Chose Tampa Bay

The highest profile player in NFL history became a Free Agent for the first time and had the world buzzing everyday with rumors, reports, and debates about where he might end up going. During that process, very few people considered Tampa Bay a realistic landing spot, but that’s exactly where “The GOAT” will likely finish his career.

Brady leaves behind a legendary career in New England that’s cemented as one of the best ever, but still has more goals to accomplish before he one day gets inducted into the Hall of Fame. While the entire world watched his decision play out, let’s breakdown the three biggest reasons why the 6x Super Bowl Champion decided not only to leave the only team he’s played for, but join a team in Florida that hasn’t made the Playoffs in over a decade.

1. Belichick

To join Tampa Bay, Brady had to first leave New England. The main reason he left New England was because of Bill Belichick and the level of respect there, or lack thereof. Tom Brady has always been well-respected by his peers and fans as the most accomplished player to ever touch a football. However, that same level of respect wasn’t reciprocated from New England’s front office in the form of a contract on par with the value he’s brought to the team.

Throughout the 2010’s, Tom Brady took discount after discount to allow the Patriots front office add the requisite pieces to compete for a title. While every other top-tier QB understandably took a top-tier contract (that subsequently reduces his team’s cap space to spend on other players), Brady’s sacrifices fueled New England’s ability to build a team that won four straight AFC Championships and three Super Bowls in just the last five years.

During his entire illustrious career, Brady has only had one personal goal: play until he’s 45. Now was the time for New England to return the favor and give Brady the multi-year contract he deserved and let him finish his career as a Patriot. Yet last year, the Belichick-led Front Office refused to give Brady an extension beyond the 2019 season, despite just leading New England to a SIXTH Super Bowl victory.

That started the process that led to today’s significant move as Brady immediately put his Massachusetts mansion on the market once those talks concluded, sending a signal that Brady was prepared to move on. If Bill Belichick made it clear Brady’s services were still desired and they were willing to pay close to top-dollar for it, this situation wouldn’t have played out the way it did. While neither party will likely ever admit it in public, the main reason Brady left New England is because of Belichick.

2. Weapons

One thing (among many things) Belichick has control of in New England is the Patriots roster. The part of the roster that specifically influences Brady’s success most is the offensive skill players he has around him. Brady has thrived when he has a high-caliber TE (or 2) to throw to, a guy who can go up and get it with the best of them, and a run-game that can take some pressure off of the pass game. Tom Brady’s best years came with Rob Gronkowski, Randy Moss, and a balanced rush attack that kept defenses honest. Tampa Bay doesn’t have another Gronk, but they do have arguably the most talented TE duo in the league.

Randy Moss is of course not walking through that door, but Mike Evans’ ability to help out the Quarterback isn’t far off. Since Brady’s arm has undoubtedly declined over the years, he surely won’t be able to hit Mike Evans on deep balls the way Jameis Winston consistently did. However, Evans’ catch radius is among the best in the business and Brady thrives when being able to get the ball out quick and trust that his receiver will come down with any 50-50 balls.

Chris Godwin’s presence is another factor that surely led to Brady’s decision as he’s never been able to have two star-level outside Wide Receivers on the field at the same time. The potential to team up with a dominant duo like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin is something any QB would be excited about and one Brady thought he might’ve had last year when Antonio Brown and Josh Gordon were both on New England’s roster at one point.

Of course, Brady has always worked well with a Wes Welker and Julian Edelman-type Slot Receiver that can quickly get open and be a security blanket for TB12 as well. Tampa Bay is currently missing that from their roster, but still have an opening at the third WR position and cap space to spare.

Antonio Brown is a potential option, although he comes with excessive baggage. Emmanuel Sanders and Chris Hogan are premier targets on the Free Agent market, while trading a draft pick(s) for a player like Brandin Cooks, T.Y. Hilton, Keenan Allen, or Golden Tate could be a possibility now that Tampa is in win-now mode. Their 7-9 2019 season culminated in the 14th overall pick in the 2020 Draft which could also lead to adding a premier WR prospect like Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb. Expect Tampa to land another standout WR that gives Brady an unbelievable group of weapons to work with during his final chapter.

3. Legacy

While some people believe Tom Brady’s legacy would be better if he played in one jersey his entire career, there’s also a large amount of people that believe Brady’s legacy can only be improved if he’s able to win without being attached to the greatness of Bill Belichick. The Brady vs. Belichick debate will be one that could last forever, and these 2-3 years will be a major factor in that debate’s winner.

With Brady clearly desiring a new challenge and an opportunity to prove he can win without Bill Belichick, winning became the biggest priority under those circumstances. Of course, if winning was the sole prominent priority, he would’ve re-signed in New England where he hasn’t missed the Playoffs as the starting QB since his second season as the starter, one year after winning his first Super Bowl in New England.

Tom Brady is already widely considered the Greatest Of All-Time. However, there’s still people that believe Brady’s legacy of success and accomplishments (why he’s considered the GOAT) would have never happened if it wasn’t for Belichick’s guidance and tutelage. Instead of living in a world of hypotheticals, Brady can prove his legacy of greatness exists with or WITHOUT Bill Belichick. With or WITHOUT the “Patriot Way.”

With non-Patriots suitors being limited to the Los Angeles Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the biggest factor in those teams chances of success is the Head Coach and guy calling the plays. Bruce Arians’ reputation as a winner, QB guru, and successful play-caller proved to be a difference-maker in convincing Brady he can compete for Championships with the Buccaneers organization.

If Tom Brady not only ends a 12-year Playoff-less streak in Northern Florida, but also helps Bruce Arians win his first and possibly only Super Bowl, Tom Brady’s legacy will go through the roof.