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Tampering the Legal Tampering

 

Tom Brady announced is “unretirement” this evening after 40 days “retired.”  As one of the best players in the league (he led the NFL in yards passing {5,316}, touchdowns {43}, completions {485} and attempts {719} in 2021, but Tampa Bay lost at home to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs) he certainly has not shown regression in his play.  This provides continuity for the Bucs as a Super Bowl contender. 

I’d like to point out as a recent retiree that the decision is a difficult one.  Perhaps Tom spent 40 days home with wife Gisele and his kids (14, 11 and 8), and decided another year working had more appeal (just kidding)?  But the announcement timing is interesting… The evening before the NFL legal tampering period begins.  Clearly the Bucs wanted to use Brady’s re-addition as a critical attraction to help retain their own players (Bucs center Ryan Jensen and tight end Rob Gronkowski) or acquire new players via Free Agency or trade. 

Eagles Lessons: In today’s NFL, an elite starting QB is a magnet for quality teammates.  Receivers recognize an elite QB adds both quantity and quality to their numbers.  All potential teammates check off the clear increase in chances to be a winner.  Similarly, the absence of an elite qb puts teams at a competitive disadvantage when attempting to acquire Free agents or players willing to waive their no-trade clause. 

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