Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady may be 45, but he proved that he's still capable of inspiring wins after a stunning last drive against the New Orleans Saints.
The Buccaneers were trailing the Saints from the second quarter, and went into the final 15 minutes with just three points to their name as the offence failed to break into opposition territory. But in trademark Brady style, he saved the best until last as he found Rachaad White with five seconds left, who bundled into the endzone before their extra point sealed the victory.
The Buccaneers won 17-16 to shatter the efforts of the Saints right at the death, meaning they are now the only team in a poor NFC South division to not hold a negative record. Brady's out of contract at the end of the season, and has been linked with a sensational return to the New England Patriots, and he could still do a job for Bill Belichick.
After spending 20 years with the Patriots and picking up six Super Bowl rings in New England, Brady decided it was time for a new challenge as he joined the Buccaneers. After joining in 2020. Brady went on to win his seventh Super Bowl, although it was first in different colours.
Brady then retired after the 2021 season, but quickly reversed his decision to give it another go with the Buccaneers. It's a decision that's reportedly cost him his marriage, but now a newly single Brady shows no sign of calling time. In fact, even after beating the Saints on Monday night to put their current record at 6-6, the quarterback looked as delighted as ever with the win.
The iconic no.12 screamed into television cameras: "Let's f****** go!" And Brady then re-shared the clip to his Twitter account to express his delight once more.
NFL expert Bill Simmons has already told Brady that a return to the Patriots is "how it has to end," and there may actually be some momentum regarding a move. Brady and Belichick still share a lot of respect for one another, and Patriots owner Robert Kraft is still very friendly with the quarterback.
The Patriots are far from being in crisis, but it's not been the second year that Mac Jones was hoping for, and they could potentially bring Brady back in. Although Jones is under contract until 2024 with an option of another year, it may not be a bad idea bringing Brady in as a perfect role model for another year.
Links between Brady and the Patriots continue to circle once more, and according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, a deal for next season is a real possibility. "Brady and Bill Belichick still have an abundance of respect for one another. They’ve made points to say it publicly on multiple occasions since the QB departed for Tampa," Howe wrote.
"The Patriots are slated to have more than $50million (£40.9m) in cap space in 2023, so they can again address their flaws, this time on the heels of a couple impressive draft classes." And Simmons drew further conclusions on his podcast as he said: "He needs an offensive line, the Pats have an offensive line.
"He needs a tight end, the Pats have a tight end. He needs a running back who can catch the ball out of the backfield? How about Romandre Stevenson.
"How about a bunch of receivers who can do some stuff? How about a young team that’s probably a year away from being decent. He comes back home, puts a bow on it, he’s a Patriot for life."
It may sound a little too poetic, but there is certainly a strong case there for Brady, who may want to see the back of Tampa after a difficult 2022 on and off the field. It's likely that Brady will retire as a Patriot, even if it is a one-day deal, but a strong finish where it all began could be the perfect end.
