Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has officially retired, taking himself out of the frantic quarterback carousel in this year’s offseason.
It finally happened.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is calling is quits after over two decades in the NFL, and while New York Jets fans are squealing in their homes, a few other teams feel a gloomy sense of disappointment.
The three-time NFL MVP and seven-time Super Bowl champion would have been a top-tier addition to any quarterback-needy team, even with his 2022 apparent regression. After bowing out of the playoffs early, Brady, who had played out his contract with the Bucs, was the target of rampant speculation and was rumored to finish his career at a new franchise.
He won everything for the New England Patriots, won one year of dominance for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he could have helped one more desperate team reach new heights this upcoming season.
But unless he pulls another Brady (which in this case means un-retiring again), he’s no longer a viable veteran quarterback free agent.
Let’s take a look at three teams mourning Brady’s retirement in 2023:
Teams that wish they had a shot at Tom Brady for one last year: 3. Carolina Panthers
Another NFC South team, the New Orleans Saints, might parade in the French Quarter upon hearing news of Brady’s retirement, but not the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers recently underwent a huge coaching overhaul and hired former Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich to take the helm. No doubt one of the selling points of the job was being able to build his own coaching staff from the assistant level to the offensive and defensive coordinators, and Reich is more than capable of assembling a complete and competent team.
The door was left open for multiple quarterback options including Brady, who would have wanted to join a serious playoff contender, preferably in the NFC. Theoretically, an interdivisional move to the Panthers would have worked in Brady’s favor.
Long considered an unstable model of dysfunction in the Matt Rhule era, the Panthers have a real chance to make something of themselves in 2023. They couldn’t have picked a more experienced leader than Reich. They have a solid offensive line as indicated by their strong run game last year. They have a few flashy perimeter weapons in D.J. Moore and Terrace Marshall Jr, and they have young talent on the defensive side of the ball to potentially become a top-five unit.
Everything that Brady wanted, the Panthers had. For Carolina, it’s a real pity Brady didn’t stick around for one more year.