Tom Brady is no longer preparing for a football game every week, but the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback is still keeping a close eye on the action in the NFL. In a recent episode of his Let's Go podcast, Brady gave former teammate and Bucs star Mike Evans a shoutout over the wide receiver's terrific start to the 2023 NFL season (h/t JoeBucsFan.com).

“Nice to watch … and not feel like you’re living and dying with every single score,” Brady said. “Yeah, there’s teams I root for and the players, but it’s not like when you’re in the game and [you’re thinking], ‘Oh, God, I hope they lose because that’s helps our position.’ You know, you just want to see your friends do well. Mike [Evans] went for 160 [yards] or 170 this weekend; I was so happy for Mike. Seeing my friends do well is so awesome to see.”

The Buccaneers are among the NFL's top early surprises. Not many thought that Tampa Bay would be at 2-0 to start their first campaign after Tom Brady's retirement. But here they are, still unblemished heading into a Week 3 showdown against the reigning NFC champions Philadelphia Eagles.

Evans is definitely a big reason for the Buccaneers' success. He opened the season with 66 receiving yards and a touchdown on six catches and 10 targets in a 20-17 upset win over the Minnesota Vikings on the road. The following week, he went off for 171 receiving yards and a touchdown on six receptions and eight targets in a performance that got Tom Brady's attention.