Posted by FFPundits
12:18pm Apr 7 2022
How do you measure the greatness of a sports star when it comes to affording them the status of bona fide legend? Well, a good way to consider such a distinction comes down to the consistent efforts of an individual over the course of their glittering career.
This is also a key element of selecting a player in any fantasy sports game, and the un-retirement of Tom Brady will not only have left Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans in raptures but also those who dabble in fantasy football action.
If you wanted to see just how impactful the addition of a player of Brady’s unending talent is to a franchise, then you only need to take a close look at the betting action that accompanies his change of mind.
When the 44-year-old announced his retirement from the game, the odds on the Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl sank without trace, but now, if you look via odds comparison service Sidelines, you’ll note that Tampa Bay is now the second favorite to win the NFL title, not only that, they are only just behind favourites the Buffalo Bills, with Bruce Arians’ side at (+750) and Sean McDermott’s are a little way ahead at (+700).
Basically, Brady brings an added dimension to your fantasy picks, not just because of his longevity, remember the seven-time Super Bowl winner led the way in terms of passing yards and touchdowns last season (but lost the NFL MVP award to Aaron Rodgers for the second season in a row), but also it means that Tampa Bay’s wide receivers are now also far more attractive prospects with the likes of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, for instance.
So what can the Buccaneers achieve next season? Well, there’s no reason they can’t go long into the post-season and especially if Brady really thinks he has unfinished business to take care of, as opposed to not wanting to quit due to not really being able to imagine his life outside of the NFL.
Arians has opened up about Brady’s return and appears convinced that there’s no less enthusiasm within the ageing frame of the star quarterback;
“The way he played last year, it might have been his best year ever,”
“There’s no drop off — Week 16, playoffs, he was on fire. And there won’t be any drop off this year. Coming after the season, I said, ‘Tom, how do you feel?’ He said, ‘This is the best physically I’ve felt in years after a season.’ So I say, ‘OK, we’ll keep that light on for sure, brother.’”
“They know what Tom brings, and we got a shot for another ring. And that’s it. That’s the bottom line,”
“It’s all about the ring again. Not reloading, not seeing who’s going to do this, who’s going to do that, how we are we going to fit this guy in. Everybody knows their role again right now.”
“The smile really hasn’t come off my face. I’m drinking too much, but other than that, it’s been a constant celebration. It was huge for us to have Tom back.”
And that brings us to an additional benefit to Brady’s return. The fact that for a few short weeks anyway, the Bucs had to consider how life might be like without the former New England Patriots star (who has been a revelation in the two seasons he’s been at the Raymond James Stadium), his instant return will act as a rallying cry for everyone in the organization.