The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not look like a legitimate Super Bowl contender for the overwhelming majority of the 2022 season, which came as a surprise many people. Apparently Tom Brady saw it coming.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington on Thursday published a report that included some intriguing information about Brady’s past, present and future. One of the interesting revelations the NFL insider made is that Brady was well aware that the issues he had in his personal life could negatively impact the Bucs.
As Darlington described it, Brady’s mental focus was “gone for a bulk of the season.” The 45-year old quarterback also lost a significant amount of weight, and he had a feeling the challenges he dealt with off the field could doom the 2022 Bucs.
“Brady also knows his own mental focus was gone for a bulk of the season — his physical stature, faced with 15 pounds of weight loss, also in peril,” Darlington said. “He felt at times like his preseason anguish ended his chances at success before the regular season even started.”
You can hear the full report below:
How does a man decide what to do with his remaining greatness? A deeper look into Tom Brady's Final Dilemma: pic.twitter.com/DWbGIuMzzX
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 26, 2023
Brady has never been the most physically gifted player in the NFL. His meticulous preparation and unmatched passion for winning are the attributes that have always set him apart from his peers. Both of those likely took a hit when he and his wife Gisele Bundchen were going through a divorce.
If you remember, there were reports during training camp that Brady had poor body language and did not look like himself. That was before he made the unprecedented move of leaving his teammates for 11 days during the most important part of the offseason. There was always a chance that would put the Bucs in a hole, and it seems like even Brady knows that it did.
