March 30th, 2022 at 10:18 PM ^
Love Bowles. Guy is deserving of another shot.
Probably true. Failing with the jets, browns, or lions should at worse be a net neutral on your resume.
March 30th, 2022 at 10:19 PM ^
Hope he isn't sick again. Good coach.
March 31st, 2022 at 10:14 AM ^
Born in 1952, so he's 70 this year. Hope he's healthy and gets to bounce grandkids on his knee.
March 30th, 2022 at 10:30 PM ^
Brady and the Bucs are going to take the high road, but you have to wonder if the rumors of their friction were true last year and this was part of his return.
March 30th, 2022 at 10:37 PM ^
If Brady could handle Belichick, I am sure he could handle Arians for a few years.
March 30th, 2022 at 11:09 PM ^
I would rather deal with the cut off hoodie than the Kangol any day.
I totally disagree. Brady got to a point in his life and career where he no longer was willing to put up with Belichick. That’s why he left.
The theory here is he was willing to retire rather than deal with Arians. The Bucs eventually made the wise choice and picked Brady over Arians.
March 31st, 2022 at 11:50 AM ^
My understanding was that the Pats basically just let him walk. They didn't want to keep extending him and that was basically it. I didn't think it was a "I can't take another year of Bill" on Brady's end.
March 31st, 2022 at 12:37 PM ^
Bill would have taken him back for 2020 but he wanted to leave. The Pats weren't allowed to franchise tag him per his contract. So they didn't "let" him walk. They didn't have a choice. Bill could have fought to keep him, but Bill preferred moving on rather than placating Brady. So in that sense, he "let" him walk, but Brady was most definitely done with Bill and that's why he left.
March 31st, 2022 at 12:55 PM ^
IMO it was best case for both of them. Patriots roster didn't look like Super Bowl contenders even with Brady, and Brady has limited time left. Better for the Pats to rebuild and for Brady to finish things out with a top roster.
March 31st, 2022 at 11:04 AM ^
Its not so much that he couldn't handle it, but rather would he even want to if he didn't have to?
Assuming there is any credibility to the rumor, I think Brady is at a point in his career where he still loves playing and knows he can do it at a high level, but if he's going to do it, it will fully be on his terms. If that can't happen, he knows he's accomplished enough in his career to be able to walk away and feel good about it. The guy has had nothing left to prove for the better part of a decade.
Again, no idea if any of it is true, and we'll likely never know for sure. Arians has had health problems as recently as a few years ago, so he may have legitimately decided that for his health it was just time to step back. But Brady's never been known as an easy guy to work with. None of the all-time greats ever are. MJ and Kobe were both guys that were incredibly tough to play with and would likely run you off the team if you weren't as driven to win and to perfect your craft as they were. But that's why they won so freaking much. Brady included.
Brady may have just decided "I'm too old to keep playing this game and NOT have things done my way."
March 30th, 2022 at 10:30 PM ^
I read a snippet of the article on the ESPN app. Sounds like he took a front office job with the team.
March 30th, 2022 at 11:23 PM ^
Strong Riley/Spoelstra vibes.
March 30th, 2022 at 10:54 PM ^
Enjoy your retirement, Bruce. You have your Super Bowl and free beer for life in Tampa.
Friends say they see him at our local hole in the wall bar fairly regularly. Talks to no one but the staff and absolutely devours wings.
My one buddy is a smartass and tried to strike up a conversation. Couldn't even get a reaction out of him.
March 30th, 2022 at 11:03 PM ^
In an offensive league they went with Bowles over Leftwich?
March 31st, 2022 at 12:30 PM ^
Except here, Brady is the de facto OC
And Leftwich is still in place.
March 31st, 2022 at 12:54 PM ^
You realize that the winningest coach of all time is a former defensive coordinator and still a defensive minded coach right? *cough Belichick *cough
Whether or not an HC has a mind for offense or defense is irrelevant.
As long as he has Tom Brady
Him and Tom are just taking turns.
With it being so abruptly it has to be for health reasons.
March 31st, 2022 at 10:27 AM ^
Brady wanted Bowles, New England guy that has the same ideas as TB about culture.
I know BA has had some health problems in the past and you have to wonder if this move was precipitated by that. Its not like coaching in the NFL is a low-stress gig. Ever since Brady came to town, the media coverage, analysis, and spotlight on Tampa has increased ten fold. Its Super Bowl or bust every season until he's gone for good.
But I'm sure the way he sees it, he achieved the one milestone he hadn't achieved before coming to Tampa: winning a ring as a head coach. He's done that now, so there's really nothing more for him to accomplish. Sounds like he still wants to be around the game but just in a much smaller capacity.
I know there was some scuttle that he and Brady butted heads, and I suppose its a possibility that this may have been one of Brady's conditions for coming back. But I don't pay enough attention to be able to confidently make that claim myself.
Either way, as a Tampa native, major kudos to BA for bringing the Bucs back to respectability. They were a completely irrelevant afterthought before he showed up. If he was ever going to step away, now was the time. The team, by and large, couldn't be in better shape. Talent all over the field, especially on offense, the GOAT is leading the team, lot of young talent on the defense, and a very weak division there for the taking. Bowles is very much set up for success.
There was some speculation from the Florio's of the world that Brady had a conversation with the Glaziers in Manchester that he was thinking about coming back, but that he'd *prefer* Bowles or Leftwich over BA. The Glaziers likely said something to the effect of "If you want to come back, I'm sure we can make BA an offer he can't refuse."
March 31st, 2022 at 10:44 AM ^
what? so weird... maybe he has a reversal like Brady...
lends credence to me at least, that there was some friction between Brady and BA...who knows, and not a big deal even if true...lots of guys aren't buddy buddy with their coach
I mean, i liked the guy...
March 31st, 2022 at 11:50 AM ^
The Bourne Ultimatum has got nothing on The Brady Ultimatum!!
March 31st, 2022 at 12:59 PM ^
Brady's instagram post about Arians doesn't sound like a guy he had a beef with. Could just be PR, but Brady is pretty effusive.
Tom Brady dual role?