Tom Brady Has A Retirement Chat With Steve Young
January 9th, 2023
Very interesting listening this evening on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio.
Tom Brady had two special guests on his Let’s Go! show: Hall of Fame quarterbacks Steve Young and Roger Staubach. It turns out Young was Brady’s childhood quarterback hero when Brady started playing football seriously in high school.
The chatter soon shifted to Aaron Rodgers openly talking about considering retirement following the Packers’ loss to the Lions on Sunday night.
Audio was played of Rodgers’ comments and Young praised the candor and tried to explain the agony a legendary quarterback goes through when before, during and after deciding to hang up his cleats.
What made it most interesting from a Bucs perspective was Brady making audible sounds of agreement during the rant, blurting out during it, and then following up to praise Young’s assessment.
“What he’s contemplating is, in my mind, a death. And who chooses death?” Young said, referring to a football retirement.
“Because when you’re the best at something in the world and then you leave the game and the next day you’re not that anymore and you find out, you know what, I’m not actually even good at anything else.
“So you end up wanting so much to go back to the thing I was great at. Not because you want the adulation and people to tell you that you’re great, like there’s something that you’re great at. And as a human being you don’t want to (Brady interjects “suck”), that’s my highest and best use.
“What [Rodgers] is contemplating is a really difficult thing, and people have no idea — having been there and felt that and have to deal with it. I always tell people, ‘The next day you’re at the bottom of a cliff in a broken sack of bones. And then you gotta stand up and start doing something different. But it’s never going to be the same. It’ll never be as all-encompassing, every bit of yourself poured out every week. There’s nothing like it. And that’s why Aaron is sitting in that spot, looking over the cliff going, ‘I don’t want to fall down there. I don’t want to go there. I don’t.” And that’s really [how I] viscerally feel him today.”
Brady’s feedback was brief after Young’s take, though he seemed to confirmed he decided to retire one day after the Bucs’ 2021 season concluded — even though the announcement didn’t come for days.
“Steve brings out the perfect point,” Brady said. “Those are absolutely legitimate feelings and emotions. And I think the most important thing is the day after the season, and I made this mistake, is not to decide the future.”
During Young’s talk about Rodgers, it felt like he was sending a strong message to Brady. Don’t hang it up now because you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.
Hopefully, Brady decides to listen — and renew his lease on Davis Islands.
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January 9th, 2023 at 8:16 pm
Would be nice if he played another year. Not sure it will be for the Bucs but would be fun to continue watching him play.
January 9th, 2023 at 8:22 pm
‘Till the wheels fall off.
January 9th, 2023 at 8:24 pm
Brady should consider coaching, once the cleats come off.
January 9th, 2023 at 8:27 pm
I think the wheels are starting to fall off. Problem is that Brady won’t be going out on top if he stays with the Bucs.
January 9th, 2023 at 8:31 pm
Steve said get out of Tampa, you already broke my record of years there
January 9th, 2023 at 8:44 pm
What player wants to play on a team that is unbearable to watch? There is no other way to describe them. Some say this isn’t on Bowles (DR), but how does a team go from high flying to low and slow? Every other team in the league has injured players on their ine and still have a running game. There is no secret I am in Patriots territory and owned box seats for years, I couldn’t imagine selling my my playoff seats especially if it were Dallas coming to town. It’s sad it came to this and it’s all due to the new coaching regime.
January 9th, 2023 at 8:57 pm
There has to be a brutally honest assessment. Ultimately, is it better to bow out gracefully at or near the top of the game, or do you risk hanging on too long (Michael Jordan, Ali, Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas, STEVE YOUNG, etc etc)?
At this stage, Brady is getting closer to where noodle arm Peyton Pud Manning was at the end. Not quite, but Brady needs a system tailored to his strengths and particularly now his weaknesses. Bucs have not done this for him. This was supposed be a last all-in. Instead, he got Bowles, Left, dissension, pouty attitudes and a huge dropoff in talent.
January 9th, 2023 at 8:58 pm
Davis Island?
I thought he had a house built in Clearwater, or did that not happen?
January 9th, 2023 at 9:01 pm
Did not happen.
January 9th, 2023 at 9:13 pm
A little off topic here, but I’m watching the college championship game and Georgia’s offense is easily running up and down the field.
Just as soon as this game is over Jason Licht should be on the phone to Todd Monken telling him that the offensive coordinator job here will be open soon.
Maybe that would help sway Brady a little
January 9th, 2023 at 9:17 pm
It absolutely sounded like Steve Young was trying to convince Tom that he’s playing at too high of a level and there’s no reason to quit now. Tampa Bay just needs to say a collective prayer, if you believe in such things, that BL didn’t run Brady out of town.
Personally, I think he leaves but… The optimist in me says he still has one heckuva receiving corp, an O line coming back healthy with Jensen, a young tight end that is getting better, a young running back that looks fantastic, and a top 10 defense.
They have challenges on resigning some people, but as old as everyone thinks they are , they have a lot of very good young players.
January 9th, 2023 at 9:26 pm
Brady has 3 more years in him, at least. When he was gaunt, and tired looking, he didn’t play well at all. Stress and not eating right will do that. Hell, I worked out today on an empty stomach (last meal 15+ hours prior), and my strength was decreased by 10-20%. That’s missing one meal. Now imagine going through a divorce, missing lots of meals, losing quite a bit of weight, and playing pro football. Yeah, he looked old then. He doesn’t now. He has at least 3 years in the tank. Hope he stays here where he’s loved and appreciated….and close to his kids.
January 9th, 2023 at 9:55 pm
Steve isn’t telling Brady anything he doesnt know himself he is trying to explain it to everyone else who isn’t at that their level how difficult the decision is a death of a large part of yourself crazy deep. Whatever Brady decides to do it was an amazing experience just to see him be the best at something for such a long time. Go bucs!
January 9th, 2023 at 10:09 pm
I totally believe that Monken has the head, the grit, and the stones to run a really good NFL offense. I’d totally support bringing him in as OC.
January 9th, 2023 at 10:24 pm
Winning a Super Bowl with Tom Brady is so easy even Bill Belichick could do it
January 9th, 2023 at 10:26 pm
@JackClark
And you think this coach can? Have u been watching this team this season?
January 9th, 2023 at 11:06 pm
Has anyone ever sat down in a serious way and did any long form discussions with Steve Young about coming to Tampa, playing for the Bucs, just living in the city at the time. All you yankees don’t know this, but in the mid-80s, Tampa was a much smaller and much different place, and the Tampa Bay Bandits were a lot more popular than the Bucs during that era. I know people will do bits on that era and just talk about how everything sucked and was terrible, which is fair, but I’d still like to just know simple stuff, how did players live back then, for example. While Young had his ‘lifetime’ deal from the LA Express money, your UDFA’s who made the team weren’t making $700k/year (btw, I looked that up, that’s the real number now, wow).
I’d personally, as a native Tampon, like to hear Brady and Young compared notes – then to really spice it up, bring in the Bucs first ever QB Steve Spurrier into the discussion.
January 9th, 2023 at 11:06 pm
Samson50 Says:
January 9th, 2023 at 10:26 pm
And you think this coach can? Have u been watching this team this season?
They already did two seasons ago ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
January 9th, 2023 at 11:07 pm
look at tb12’s numbers this season with no line……of course he is not dead he has a live arm and mind ….just not in tbay….they blew it
January 9th, 2023 at 11:22 pm
I envision no scenario where we get a better QB next year
January 9th, 2023 at 11:55 pm
Glazers.
Get Brady to declare everything he wants; coaches, philosophy, scheme, play design, game planning, play calling, coaching, player personnel, janitorial staff, laundry services, equity in the Bucs, and salary/bonus, of course — get it all. Ask, “Is that everything?”
Then double it, hand him the papers and let him know he’s not leaving the room until he signs.
January 10th, 2023 at 2:17 am
NEfan, lol the patriots sucked before Brady and have sucked since he left. You idiots from up north are hilarious!
January 10th, 2023 at 2:53 am
You tell em BA. Also I might add, in Steve young’s hey day, he couldn’t throw as accurate and nearly as hard as Brady does rite now!
January 10th, 2023 at 3:19 am
When is the last time the Bucs went to the playoffs three years in a row?
You see in my mind he always knew just how good he is at qb. Everyone else, they were saying belichek this and belichek that. Imo that pissed Brady off, and that’s a big reason why he came to tampa. Cause in his mind he thought that if he could take the year in and year out lowly tampa bay Bucs franchise to the pinnacle there could never be any questions about his superiority. He was and is correct. And there is the rub, not only is the Brady great qb, but the man simply didn’t just fall of that there turnip truck.
January 10th, 2023 at 7:33 am
You don’t have to be the GOAT, or one of them, to regret your football career ending.
For years, your calendar has revolved around a game, and suddenly that calendar doesn’t exist anymore. It’s tough, and many who have nothing else going on but football don’t know what to do and can’t handle it.
Very, very few get a post-playing gig associated with that game.
January 10th, 2023 at 7:48 am
Pats fan are the most ridiculous people on the face of this earth. They were one of the worst franchises in professional sports before D Bledsoe also got hurt. Bill Belichick was well on his way to getting fired. Brady saved that franchise and turn them into one of the, if not most dominant dynasties of all time. Patriots fans Deserve all the misery they’re about to get. Decades of mediocrity. Bill Belichick is below 500 without TB That’s all you need to know. And anyone comparing Brady to Peyton Manning at the end, shouldn’t be watching football. Peyton Manning couldn’t throw the ball 10 yards. Brady has proven the past two weeks that he can throw at 60 yards on a dime s. His foot work is still elite. His body is definitely slow down, but he still one of the four or five best quarterbacks in football. The Bucs need to do anything in they’re power to sign him
January 10th, 2023 at 9:27 am
Even if Brady decides not to play for the Bucs, I will be happy if he makes the decision to come back and play. The guy is a role model for being crazy committed to goals. I can’t see him retire just yet, especially if the Bucs manage at least one win in the playoffs. NFC is and will continue to be a winnable conference for someone with Brady’s smarts and command over the game. The Rams were a team loaded with future HoFers and perennial probowlers and BUCS were in the worst possible position to face them with a beat up O-line and no AB and Godwin. This year has been another injury riddled year for BUCS. A somewhat healthy team last year and this year would have allowed Brady to stick it to the rest of the league. This is why I deeply hope Hainsey is a 100% for the game.
January 10th, 2023 at 10:56 am
Everyone right now is saying Raiders. But I just don’t see him being successful in the AFC now. That conference has a lot of good teams and good QBs. It’s gotten stronger since he played in it. I think if he does that, he’d be heading for a disappointing end to his career.
If he’s only wanting a Super Bowl-ready team with the easiest path, it will be the 49ers. But who knows now…with the way Brock Purdy is playing, the 49ers may reject Brady yet again. I mean if Purdy goes to the Super Bowl, do you bench him next year for a 46 year old QB?
January 10th, 2023 at 11:28 am
I’d love to see him play another season, especially for a team that doesn’t handicap it’s own offense out of fear, stubbornness or stupidity. If that somehow is the Bucs, then bonus. If TB had been the head coach in 2020, no way the Bucs win the super Bowl. You think Todd would have gone for or on 4th down just before half in Green Bay? Or tried to score a TD? Nahhhh. He’d be like “hmmmm. Well. We have the ball and a lead and a minute before half. I’d hate to try anything risky. We’ll just send Lenny up the middle 3 times in a row and punt.
January 10th, 2023 at 3:43 pm
I just listened to the Let’s Go podcast with Brady, Young, and Staubach. This is a great listen. Strongly recommend.