For much of the 2022-23 campaign, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers remained afloat amid their plethora of injury woes thanks to Tom Brady's continued excellence despite his advanced age. Now 45 years old, Brady inexplicably remains one of the best quarterbacks in the game. Even with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' less-than-ideal 8-9 season, no team would dare want to face Brady in the NFL's biggest stage. However, Brady and the Buccaneers ran into a buzzsaw in the form of Dak Prescott the Dallas Cowboys.
Nevertheless, even after their 31-14 defeat, Brady's teammates couldn't help but gush over their quarterback's illustrious career, especially if this proves to be the 45-year old QB's swan song. In fact, inside linebacker Lavonte David even became sentimental after reflecting on just how incredible an experience it is to share a locker room with arguably the greatest to ever play the sport.
“It's definitely a surreal feeling, to watch somebody as a kid, and then obviously getting the chance to be in the locker room and talking with him, competing against him [in practice] — you see why he is the guy he is, why he's so great at playing quarterback,” David said, per Jenna Laine of ESPN. “I'm definitely appreciative of him. I told him, ‘No matter what, you're the GOAT in my eyes.'”
Tight end Cameron Brate also joined Lavonte David in the sentimental mood, ever expressive of their gratefulness for Tom Brady and the way the veteran QB became a role model to them.
“[He's] a guy I looked up to my whole life and just the opportunity to learn under him — not just football but kind of just the way he handles himself with so many different things,” Brate said. ” It's been amazing playing with Tom. Who knows what will happen with him. […] But yeah, it's been awesome.”
And last but not least, rookie Rachaad White was appreciative of the fact that he got to spend his first professional season with the epitome of a consummate professional in Brady.
“Just being able to meet him, playing alongside and just pick his brain as a human being outside of sports and things like that was great,” White said.
It remains to be seen if Brady decides to put off retirement and play one more year, perhaps to end his career on a high. But as evidenced by his impact on and off-field, he definitely has nothing left to prove.
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