Tom Brady’s retirement announcement started an outpouring of praise and congratulations from the NFL world on Wednesday and the Buccaneers organization joined in to give the former quarterback his flowers.
Coach Todd Bowles will surely miss having Brady under center next year, but he enjoyed the one year he had where he got to coach one of the greatest to ever play the game.
“I have always had the utmost respect for Tom Brady as a football player, as a winner and as a person,” Bowles said in a statement. “It wasn’t until he joined us three years ago that I was able to truly appreciate him as a teammate. Even before I became head coach, we communicated often and had a strong relationship built on mutual respect and a desire to win. That connection only grew over this past season as we fought to get the most out of our football team. I greatly appreciate the leadership he provided and am thankful our time together.”
Before Bowles took over, Bruce Arians was the man on the sidelines for Tampa Bay and the tandem won Super Bowl LV together before he retired after the ’21 season. It was only the second Super Bowl in the history of the franchise, which is owned by the Glazer family. They also thanked Brady after his announcement.
“Tom’s impact on our franchise these past three years has been immense and we are appreciative of the time we had with him here in Tampa Bay,” the Glazer family said. “He set an exceptional standard that elevated our entire organization to new heights and created some of the most iconic moments in our history. Tom’s impact will be felt within our community for many years to come and we will forever be grateful for those unforgettable memories that he provided during these final seasons of his legendary career. We wish him the best in this next chapter of life and are confident he will find similar success in his future endeavors.”