Tom Brady might have played his final game in NFL. And while the world would hope to get to see one last farewell season, Rob Ninkovich wants his former teammate to retire.
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Even at the outstanding age of 44, Brady put up MVP number this season.
In leading the Bucs to a 13-4 record and the No.2 seed in the NFC, Brady finished the 2021 regular season with 719 passing attempts, 485 completions, 5,316 passing yards and 43 touchdown passes. All of these make him just the third quarterback along with Drew Brees (2018) and Peyton Manning (2013) to lead the league in all four major statistical categories since 1991.
But with an earlier than hoped for playoff exit, the Bucs season came to an end. And with that, what seemed to be very casual rumours about Brady’s retirement, became a lot more serious.
Tom Brady himself did not deny nor confirm any rumours, meaning retirement could realistically be on the card. And former Patriot and friend of Brady Rob Ninkovich hopes he does just that.
.@TomBrady turns 44 today.
— More SBs than every franchise
— Beat 19 teams in playoffs
— 34 playoff wins
— No. 1 all-time TDs
— No. 2 all-time yards
— As many NFC titles as Rodgers, Brees, Ryan
— 3,039 yards in SBsFather Time is begging for mercy 🐐 @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/QSqwoQlmJd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 3, 2021
Rob Ninkovich wants Tom Brady to retire to shut his haters up
Tom Brady is widely considered the greatest NFL player of all time. He is a 7x Super Bowl champion, a 5x Super Bowl MVP, and a 3x NFL MVP. His list of accolades is ridiculously long. His longevity is unprecedented. Even after 22 years at the top of his game, he is still one of the best QBs in the league. And that was exactly Rob Ninkovich’s point.
“If Tom Brady keeps playing, eventually there’s going to be something everyone wants to see: The crash,” Ninkovich said on ESPN’s Get Up. “They want to see the cliff. Don’t give them the satisfaction, Tom. Go do what you want to do. You’ve done everything. You have so many Super Bowls. You’ve done everything on the field, off the field. I think Tom, at this point right now, do what makes you happy. It wouldn’t surprise me if he walked away.”
.@ninko50 says people will want to see Tom Brady crash if he keeps playing.
“Don’t give them the satisfaction, Tom! … You’ve done everything.” pic.twitter.com/XBABfBTlbd
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 28, 2022
Brady holds basically every single passing record ever. And not many still playing are even close. So Rob Ninkovich’s advice for his friend is understandable. The GOAT’s decision will be one of the biggest moments in the upcoming offseason.
