Bruce Arians on Bucs 2022 Season: "It wasn't the real Tom Brady out there."
Since switching roles from Head Coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Senior Advisor for the team, we haven't received nearly enough Bruce Arians sound bites.
Arians has always been an honest, outspoken, and entertaining interviewee. That said, when you're no longer the head coach of an NFL team, you simply don't do nearly as many interviews with the media.
I'm sure Bruce doesn't mind.
But for anyone interested in consuming content related to the Buccaneers, it's unfortunate we no longer get to experience Arians' bold and blunt commentary on a regular basis.
This past week, Arians made an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show.
During the interview, BA hit on a few different topics. Including his belief in Kyle Trask as a talented young quarterback, the status of Byron Leftwich, and why things didn't work out for the Buccaneers in 2022.
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In regards to the latter topic, after highlighting injuries as a major factor for the Bucs' struggles last season, Bruce Arians specifically addressed Tom Brady's performance.
"Tom wasn't himself, you know, with all the things that were going on. And I've got to give him all the credit in the world for battling what he went through last year for his teammates. I think the world of him. But it wasn't the real Tom Brady out there."
Not like this is anything new.
Fans of the Buccaneers, and the NFL, spent much of last season speculating about how much Tom Brady's highly publicized off-field issues may have affected his performance on it. But it does hit a little different when a member of the organization, Tom Brady's former head coach no-less, is the one remarking on how these personal challenges may have affected Tom Brady's performance as a football player.
It's a good reminder that despite his endless list of accolades, and seemingly invincible status as one of the greatest athletes of all time, Tom Brady is still a human being. The 2022 season, which was Brady's last in the NFL, is proof of that.
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