For the first time since the final game of his illustrious 23-year NFL career back in January of 2023, Tom Brady will return to Raymond James Stadium next Sunday.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion, who spent three years with Tampa Bay from 2020-2022 and won Super Bowl LV MVP in a 31-9 win over the Chiefs in Tampa, will be on the call for FOX as the 2-1 Bucs host the 2-1 Eagles at 1:00 p.m.
News for next weekend: Tom Brady will be back in Tampa in Week 4 to call the Bucs-Eagles game for @NFLonFOX. pic.twitter.com/X65xPOqblW
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 22, 2024
Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today
Brady retired back in February of 2023, just weeks after he and the Bucs were eliminated from the postseason in the Wild Card Round. In that 31-14 loss to the Cowboys in Tampa, the 45-year-old quarterback threw for 351 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 35-of-66 passing. It was a bitter end to his Buccaneer and NFL career, but it didn’t take away from his all-time-great legacy.
He had previously agreed to a 10-year, $375 million deal to join FOX as an analyst, though he didn’t get started on his broadcasting career straight away. Rather, he explored other ventures throughout 2023 before making his FOX debut to open the 2024 season.
He called three straight Cowboys games to open the season, with his debut coming during the Cowboys-Browns game in Week 1. He then called Cowboys-Saints in Week 2 before drawing the Cowboys-Ravens game in Week 3.
But with Dallas on Thursday Night Football — which is televised by Amazon Prime Video — in Week 4, the powers-that-be had to find a non-Cowboys assignment for Brady. And as it turns out, that set up a chance for him to return to the stadium he called home for the final three seasons of his career.
Tom Brady Etched His Name Into Bucs History In Three Short Years
After 20 years and six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, Tom Brady became a free agent for the first time in 2020 and ultimately chose to sign with the Bucs. For a team with a history of poor quarterback play, this was a massive coup that paid off immediately.
Tampa Bay turned a 7-5 record at its bye week into four straight wins to end the season. That led to the franchise breaking its streak of 12 straight seasons without a playoff appearance.
Once they got in the playoffs, Brady and the Bucs went on a magical run. They beat the Washington Football Team, the Saints and the Packers on the road to give themselves a chance to become the first team to win the Super Bowl in its home stadium. And Tampa Bay did it, beating Kansas City 31-9 with a defensive masterclass and a three-touchdown night from Brady, who won his fifth Super Bowl MVP.
In one year, the signing of Tom Brady had resulted in the Bucs’ second-ever Lombardi Trophy.
The 2021 campaign saw the Bucs fall two wins short of repeating as Super Bowl champions, but they still won a franchise-record 13 games and won their first NFC South title since 2007.
And everyone knows what happened next. Brady retired after the 2021 season, but only spent 40 days in retirement before announcing his return for a 23rd season. That third year with Tampa Bay wasn’t as memorable as the team struggled and went 8-9, but that was enough for another division title.
So, in three seasons together, Tom Brady and the Bucs won a Super Bowl, made the playoffs three times and won two NFC South titles. Brady finished his Buccaneer career with 14,643 passing yards (third-most among Bucs quarterbacks), 108 passing touchdowns (second), 1,376 completions (second) and 2,062 passing attempts (third). Tampa Bay went 32-18 in those three seasons and compiled a 5-2 postseason record.
There should come a day when Tom Brady is inducted into the Bucs Ring of Honor inside Raymond James Stadium. But for now, he makes his return to Tampa to call next Sunday’s Week 4 game between his former team and the Philadelphia Eagles.
