NFL legend Joe Theismann believes that quarterback Tom Brady, who announced his retirement on Wednesday, has established himself in a category all his own in the NFL, forging a career that is both unprecedented and one that will never be replicated.
Theismann, who played for the Washington Redskins from 1974-1985 and led the Skins to a Super Bowl Championship in Superbowl XVII, described Brady as “more than a generational quarterback” in a recent sit-down with Fox News Digital.
“He is truly, if there is such a thing, more than a generational quarterback,” Theismann said. “A lot of young guys will aspire to try and accomplish what he did. But no one ever will. Nobody’s going to win seven world championships.”
Theismann added, “Itβs not going to happen again. So what we’ve been able to see is monumental. And I think it’s the right decision. Like I said, I felt like last year was going to be his last year. So that chapter is going to be closed, and now the young guns will get their days in the sunshine.”
While there’s certainly no shortage of speculation from fans and NFL commentators/analysts alike regarding Brady’s next move once an NFL season reaches it conclusion in the recent years (like Keyshawn Johnson’s recent comments that the 49ers would be a perfect fit for Brady, for example), Theismann believes the only team that might have made sense for Brady would be the Las Vegas Raiders and that the 45-year-old may not want to go through the process of acclimating himself to a new team or going through another system’s OTAs and minicamps.
“I think the only place he could have gone that would have made any sense whatsoever would have been to the Las Vegas Raiders because of Josh McDaniels being there,” Theismann continued. “And that’s a familiarity with the system. I was talking with somebody the other day who said, βIf Tom was to play one more year and go someplace else, does he really want to go through the OTAs?β
“‘Does he really want to go through the mini camps? Does he really want to go from training camp to learn an entirely new system?’ Absolutely not. Absolutely not. So you know where we are is, I think, the right decision. Like I said, we’ve been very blessed to see someone very special play the quarterback position.”
Do you agree with Joe Theismann on Tom Brady’s retirement? Do you believe that Brady’s accolades will never again be replicated in the NFL? Let us know what you think in the comments.