Tom Brady did not look like he was long for playing football when the arrived for his last appearance at FirstEnergy Stadium in November. (TheLandOnDemand)
Tom Brady is the greatest player – not just the greatest quarterback – in NFL history
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from NFL news and notes …
The GOAT retires – for good
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers arrived at FirstEnergy Stadium for the Browns game on Nov. 27, I happened to be on the service level of the stadium near the visitors locker room. I decided to hang around to take a pic of Tom Brady because of the real chance it would be his last game ever in Cleveland.
Players stepped off the busses and walked onto the service level in single file to the locker room. When a player resembling Brady approached, I pointed my iPhone and snapped the photo. The player carried a designer duffel bag and wore a white jumpsuit with a blue jacket, and had AirPods in his ears. To be honest, I was not totally sure it was Brady.
The player was gaunt and had an unhappy look on his face. It wasn’t a “game face.” It was a troubled face.. When I looked at the photo, I still was not convinced it was Brady, so I shared it with a few friends in the media to make sure. It was.
This was shortly after Brady’s very public divorce had been finalized. He looked all alone and miserable walking to work that day, some 15 pounds under his regular weight. Brady proceeded to have a miserable day on the field, losing to the Browns in overtime, 23-17.
Brady had two possessions in that overtime period and advanced the ball only to the Bucs’ 43- and 35-yard lines. I’m fairly sure that never happened before in his career. Jacoby Brissett, in his last game for the Browns before handing the reins to Deshaun Watson, outplayed Brady in the end.
I felt on that day that Brady wasn’t having fun playing football anymore. But I thought he’d get it together and make a run at his 11th Super Bowl. It didn’t happen.
The Bucs proceeded to win their sorry division with an 8-9 record, and then were dispatched in the wild card game by the Cowboys, 31-14.
Even after that ignominious exit from the playoffs, after which Brady said his pleasant goodbyes to Tampa media after the game, I felt Brady would return in 2023 for a 24th season at the age of 46. A free agent, I thought Brady might seek a final season with his hometown and boyhood favorite San Francisco 49ers to attempt the last achievement of his remarkable career – taking a third team to the Super Bowl.
Such was the air of invincibility Brady had instilled in me. I thought he was capable of anything. Alas, it was not to be.
There is no doubt that Brady is the greatest NFL quarterback of all time. He matched Browns legendary quarterback Otto Graham, who played in a starkly different era of the game, with seven league championships. In my opinion, Brady should also be considered the greatest NFL player of all time.
Here is my top five:
1. Tom Brady: Relentlessly driven by his sixth-round draft status, he never rested on his laurels in pursuit of seven league championships.
2. Jim Brown: Retired at the top of his game after nine years as the greatest running back in NFL history. Brady played the sport’s toughest position at the highest level for 14 more seasons.
3. Jerry Rice: His career receiving records may never be broken.
4. Lawrence Taylor: The last defensive player to win the NFL most valuable player award in 1986, he changed the way defense was played.
5. Joe Montana: Prior to Brady, the four-time Super Bowl champion was considered the QB GOAT.
Brissett’s destination
Brissett will look for a new team in free agency because the Browns can’t afford him as a backup to Watson.
Brissett won’t be on the hot list of available veteran quarterbacks in free agency. That list would include Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr. But I think Brissett is the best available to fill the niche of “bridge” quarterback – a veteran not only capable of winning games as a starter but also eminently qualified to serve as a mentor to a young, future starter. It is an important role that not every veteran quarterback can fill.
As a result of Brady’s retirement, the only quarterback under contract with Tampa Bay is Kyle Trask. The former Florida Gator has been active for one game in two NFL seasons. His future as an NFL starter is cloudy at best.
The Bucs made coaching changes and have a roster re-set in their immediate future. They will consider a quarterback with their first round draft pick, 19th overall.
I think Tampa Bay should consider signing Brissett. How ironic it would be if Brissett moved on to the Bucs after defeating them and Brady in his final game with the Browns?
How much is a coach worth?
The Denver Broncos invested heavily in quarterback Russell Wilson last year. Wilson proceeded to have the worst year by far in his sterling career.
After an ownership change, the Broncos now have invested heavily in Sean Payton as their next coach.
Because the New Orleans Saints had Payton under contract, the Broncos had to give up a first-round draft pick in 2023 and a second-round pick in 2024. Denver will receive New Orleans’ third-round pick in 2024.
A year ago, the Broncos gave up first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 to acquire Wilson from Seattle. They later acquired a 2023 pick from the Miami Dolphins for pass rusher Bradley Chubb. That’s the pick they sent to New Orleans for Payton.
The Broncos’ investment in Payton includes a reported salary in the range of $20 million a year. That’s a pittance to the Walmart family ownership.
The Broncos not only had to make a splash pick in their coaching change, they had to find a coach to fix Wilson. Payton was the undisputed best choice for the task.
The hefty price they paid for Payton was worth it.
