Tom Brady sustaining his body even at the age of 43 years old is something to admire, but some coordinators believe age may have finally caught up with him.
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Entering his 22nd year in the NFL, Brady has nothing left to prove on the football field. He’s done it all, compile passing records, win at an elite level, and even win with a different team. However, even after winning the Super Bowl last year, NFL offensive coordinators are skeptical about a repeat.
Brady is 43 years old, and he did sign an extension to keep him Tampa till he’s at least 45, but will he keep producing at a high level till then? We’ll have to find out, but some coordinators don’t think so.
Aaron Rodgers And Patrick Mahomes Rank Ahead Of Tom Brady In Polls
Brady may be the Super Bowl MVP, but offensive coordinators still chose to roll with two other quarterbacks ahead of him in a recent poll.
The Athletic sent out a survey to 50 offensive coordinators asking them to rank the quarterbacks in the NFL based on a tiered system. Brady did make it on to the highest tier, but there were two quarterbacks who ranked right above him.
At second place, you have Brady’s Super Bowl foe, Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has had an astounding start to his career, already winning league MVP, Super Bowl MVP, along with two trips to the big game all by just his third season.
He also joined Peyton Manning as the only two quarterbacks to pass for 5,000 yards and throw 50 touchdowns in the same season. Needless to say, Mahomes is one of the best (arguably the best) quarterback in the NFL right now, and he will be for a long time.
At the number one spot, you have the league MVP from last season, Aaron Rodgers. Brady also took down Rodgers in the playoffs last year, besting him in the NFC Conference Championship, but coordinators didn’t seem to care too much about that.
So, why exactly do they think that Brady is at number three despite beating both quarterbacks in big games last year? Well here’s what one coordinator had to say:
“There were too many games where they weren’t really doing a whole lot, and the defense or somebody made a big play. I think he’s really good. I just don’t think he can carry a team now.”
The coordinators do make a fair point about the Buccaneers defense. While Brady was good, he wasn’t great, but the defense took it to a completely different level, especially in the Super Bowl.
They harrassed Mahomes all day long, sacking him and forcing turnovers. Similarly, in thew NFC Conference Championship game, Brady came out looking sharp in the first half, especially with this first half buzzer beater to Scotty Miller.
However, Brady would finish the day with three interceptions, and the defense had to make a big stand towards the end to win the game. All in all, Brady may not be at the elite level of the other two quarterbacks, but that doesn’t mean he can’t lead a franchise anymore.
After all, you wouldn’t expect Jameis Winston to lead that same Bucs team to a Super Bowl victory like Brady did last year. Brady showed he had a lot left in the tank, playing with a torn MCL as well, and with a full training camp and offseason this year, he may be even better next season.
