22 January 2023 , 19:33
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NFL star Devin McCourty believes his former New England Patriots teammate Tom Brady will join the Tennessee Titans instead of retiring this offseason.
On Monday night, Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers were comprehensively defeated 31-14 by the Dallas Cowboys to end the iconic quarterback’s 23rd NFL season. Brady doffed his cap to the fans and kissed his parents before disappearing down the Raymond James Stadium tunnel, suggesting his time in Florida is over after three years ,
After one of the toughest seasons of his storied career, Brady will not rush into making any decisions over his future. He famously retired last offseason only to reverse his decision 40 days later, and the 45-year-old will surely not make the same mistake again.
While Brady could certainly decide to retire again, Patriots star safety McCourty believes the seven-time Super Bowl champion could link up with former New England linebacker Mike Vrabel in Tennessee. Vrabel is head coach of the Titans and McCourty - who won three rings with Brady - claims the environment would be perfect for the iconic quarterback to chase an eighth Super Bowl title.
“He's going to keep playing,” McCourty declared on NFL GameDay. “I think a team like the Titans. He has Mike Vrabel down there, a guy he played with. Not too far from his family being on the East Coast. Different than going all the way out to Vegas. I know Josh McDaniels is there.
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“But you go to Tennessee, great running back, good defence, they'll get some more weapons in there to throw the ball to. I could see Tom right there continuing his great career.”
Speculation went wild recently when it emerged Brady rented an apartment in Miami, sparking rumours he could sign with the Dolphins to potentially replace Tua Tagovailoa after the quarterback struggled with concussions in 2022. However, Brady’s children live in the city with Gisele Bundchen, so it was clearly a move just to be closer to family.
Tom Brady struggled as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers crashed out of the NFL playoffs at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys (Peter Joneleit/AP/REX/Shutterstock)After the Cowboys dismantled the Bucs, there was a palpable sense of finality in Brady’s post-match press conference, but this could be due to his expiring contract in Tampa rather than an impending announcement regarding his retirement. Brady noted how grateful he was for the respect he received throughout his tenure with the franchise, adding: “I just want to say thank you guys for everything this year.”
Speculation has been rife regarding what Brady could do in 2023, with retirement mooted along with finding a new team. The 45-year-old has been linked with a sensational return to the Patriots, the franchise where he won six Super Bowls, as well as move to the Las Vegas Raiders and Titans.
The San Francisco 49ers could also be in the mix for Brady’s signature this offseason. Brady is a boyhood fan of the 49ers as he hails from the Bay Area, but they could opt to continue rolling with seventh-round rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who takes on the Cowboys in the Divisional Round of the postseason on Sunday night.