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Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady will face some growing pains this fall in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Brett Favre, a fellow NFL legend who once embarked on a similar late-career change.
At age 43, Brady is tasked with learning a new playbook and getting comfortable with Buccaneers’ potent offense despite the obstacle posed by the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the cancellation of most offseason activities. Favre, who played for the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings after 16 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, said the transition won’t be easy – even for a player with Brady’s resume.
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“First of all, I think Tom is awesome. He and Joe Montana are by far, head over heels, in a class by themselves, and so Tom has nothing to prove,” Favre said. “I think it’s going to be very difficult, based on the present circumstances, to get any chemistry with the guys before he actually plays. Now, can Tom play? Absolutely. I think the key component to the whole thing is if they can protect Tom like New England has protected him.”
Brady signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the Buccaneers after spending 20 seasons with the Patriots. He inherits a talented Buccaneers offense that includes his former Patriots teammate, tight end Rob Gronkowski, and star wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans.
Favre, 50, found success after his stint with the Packers, leading the Vikings to a 12-4 record and an NFC Championship appearance in 2009 at age 40. Looking back, Favre said the need to adjust to an entirely new routine, affecting everything from practice to a player’s commute, can have an impact.
“It’s like zero to 100 in a second, when they finally say, OK, we’re starting and here we go," Favre said. "He’s going to have very limited time to adjust to everything. That’s really the hardest part, but if anyone can do it, Tom can do it."
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While organized offseason workouts were canceled during the pandemic, Brady took steps to familiarize himself with his teammates by holding informal training sessions in Florida. Speaking to reporters at Buccaneers training camp this week, Brady said learning the team’s offensive play-calling terminology “obviously had its challenges.”
Brady will be quick to grasp head coach Bruce Arians’ offense given his football intelligence and experience, according to Favre. The bigger challenge lies in whether the Buccaneers can protect their aging star from pass rushers and build a rapport in the passing game without the benefit of a full offseason.
“That is really the key component,” Favre said. “If Tampa Bay can protect him, there’s no doubt that he can just shred teams up and down the field. He’s got tremendous weapons at his disposal now. The question is, without all the practice time and the group stuff that you normally would get, can they get that in a short amount of time? That remains to be seen. But if they can, I think we all agree they have a very good core group of players that can make a run at it. I really believe they can.”