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Tom Bradywalked off the field in Tampa for the last time of the season — and possibly his career — after the Buccaneers lost 31-14 to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night for their Wild Card showdown.
It was the first time Brady, 45, haslost to Dallas in his 23-year career.
“Not the way we wanted to end it, but we didn’t deserve it,“Brady said. “I give them a lot of credit. They played a good game. Made a lot more plays than we did, so a tough night.”
NFL.com reported that at the end of the game, the star quarterbackgave a quick kissto his parents and sister who were waiting at the start of the tunnel, then kept moving along.His mother appeared emotional.
When asked what his emotions were walking off the field on Monday night, his response was limited.
“Just feels like the end of the season,” he said, then went on to express his gratitude for the media. “I love this organization. It’s a great place to be. Thank you, everybody, for welcoming me,” he said, noting that he was going to home and try to get a good night of sleep.
“I’m very thankful for the respect and I hope I gave the same back,” he added.
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Not only did Brady have a difficult year with football, his personal life was filled with ups and downs. Brady and his wife of 13 years,Gisele Bündchen, finalized their divorcein October, agreeing to joint custody of their kids.
Further discussing the game on Monday, Brady addressed the Bucs' lackluster offense, which has been a problem for Brady and his team all season.
“They played good defensively and put a lot of pressure on us,” Brady said of the Cowboys. “We just couldn’t make enough plays. So it was kind of typical of the way we played all year, just inefficient in the passing game and not very good in the running game. So it’s hard to beat good teams like that.”
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Last January, Brady — the most successful quarterback of all time — announced his decision to retire after 22 seasons in the NFL, only tohave a change of heart less than two months later.
At the time, he said that returning to the NFLwould be his “greatest challenge yet.”
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“I know I’m at the end,“the seven-time Super Bowl champ told PEOPLE at the time. “But I put myself in this position, and I want to finish strong and at the highest level.”
source: people.com
