Did Tom Brady hand the baton off to Matthew Stafford?

Right message, wrong timing

Well, the message felt right. After all, neither Jeff Darlington nor Adam Schefter is the type to go public on information that either receives before it is confirmed. So the story was likely true enough. But the timing, just before both the AFC and NFC Championship Games? Well, that seemed a bit off. And so, everyone packed their “Brady retires” stories into their file folders, awaiting the ‘official’ official news.

But what drove Brady to the brink in 2021? Well, he couldn’t beat the LA Rams in three tries over the past two seasons.  But he did manage to win Super Bowl LV, his seventh victory in ten appearances. He was unable to beat the New Orleans Saints in four tries during the regular season, but he defeated them in the NFL Playoffs.  He was one of the most competitive players on the football field. He was also one of the poorest sportsmen.

Okay, NOW it’s official

Ultimately, the timing of this ‘leak’ really is not in the best interest of the NFL. A day before the NFC and AFC Championship Games? Two weeks before Super Bowl LVI? But after the Super Bowl participants were decided, the time was ripe. And right on cue, it arrived on February 1st:

Brady is walking away from the game of football. His departure will inevitably create the retirement of tight end, Rob Gronkowski, as well. Finally, without a veteran star-caliber quarterback to lead their team, suddenly the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ future has dimmed by a considerable amount. Could this open the door for the LA Rams’ future to be a bit brighter?