Tom Brady, back-up quarterback?
Videos by FanBuzz
That seems a bit far fetched for a man who's now in the conversation as the G.O.A.T QB. But Brady indicated to ESPN he's willing to make the ultimate compromise/sacrifice to keep playing — take a back-up role.
Here's his quote:
"When you're a member of a team sport, the best guy plays. So I always want to make sure I'm the best guy, and I give our team a great chance to win. But if you're ever not [the best guy], part of being a great teammate is letting the other guy do that, as well..."
So when I read that, my jaw dropped.
RELATED: Tom Brady wants to play for a really long time.
Think of all the athletes, in every sport, that rebel against the idea that they can't be "the man," or not lose their position, because their skills have declined or they're simply not good enough. Allen Iverson threw a fit when told he was coming off the bench. Jorge Posada, a minimally borderline (but won't get in) Hall of Fame catcher once asked the Yankees to take him out of the lineup instead of making him suffer the indignity of hitting ninth in the batting order. Even the basketball savant Jusuf Nurkic — who has a career PPG of 8.5 — gripped about his playing time.
So to hear Brady, who has five Super Bowl wins, two MVPs, 12 Pro Bowls and made the First Team All-Pro twice, even hint that he's willing to take a back-up role is —-
Refreshing. Love him or hate him, the guy is the ultimate team player.
