Tom Brady

Rob Gronkowski thinks it might be time to team up with Tom Brady again.

Only this time, it would be in the media instead of on the field.

"That may be the best option," Gronkowski told Mackenzie Salmon of USA Today (h/t Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk) when asked if Brady should perhaps join Fox next season. "He's definitely, you know, he's a free agent. He can weigh out every option, whatever team he wants to play for, or if he wants to go in that booth and come join me, and we can be, you know, the tag team champions in the world."

The former tight end also made it clear that he is retired and not coming back, which is notable since he stepped away from the game in 2019 only to return in 2020.

He returned to join Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and helped lead the NFC South team to a Super Bowl title in his first year and NFC South crown in his second year. Gronkowski then decided to retire once again, and it appeared Brady was joining him.

However, the legendary quarterback decided to end his temporary retirement and return to the Buccaneers for the 2022 campaign. To say things haven't been going according to plan would be quite the understatement, as Tampa Bay is just 6-7 on the season with an offense that has dealt with injuries and inconsistency.

That is still good enough for first place in the dreadful NFC South, but the team looks nothing like a Super Bowl contender.

Brady and Gronkowski won four Lombardi Trophies together, but it appears that the next time they will be on the same team is with Fox even if the quarterback may have another season or two left remaining in his playing career.

It remains a matter of time until the 15-time Pro Bowler is with Fox, though, as Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported in May that he agreed to a massive 10-year, $375 million contract with the network.

Not a lot went right for Tom Brady during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 35-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, and then he had to relive his interception to Dre Greenlaw when the linebacker asked him to sign the ball in the aftermath.

"It was s--t for me, to be honest," the quarterback said on his Let's Go! podcast (h/t Nick Wagoner of ESPN) while laughing. "It was complete s--t. But I try to be a gentleman. No, actually, I mean, look, it was a great play he made. I'm happy he's got the ball. I wish I didn't throw it, but I'm trying to be a good sport. I can be a pretty bad sport. In the moment when they get me in the right frame of mind, I'm actually a good sport."

Brady may not have loved it even if he had some fun with it, but it certainly was a highlight for Greenlaw:

San Francisco has a number of injuries and is down to rookie Brock Purdy at quarterback, but that didn't stop the NFC West leaders from steamrolling Brady and Co.

The 49ers defense flummoxed the all-time great throughout the contest, and Tashaun Gipson Sr. also notched an interception.

But he didn't get the autograph that Greenlaw did.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tom Brady changes the team's offensive game plan presented by the coaches before each matchup, according to Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle:

The night before each game, Brady runs a separate meeting with the Bucs' skill players during which he goes over the game plan, makes tweaks to assignments and formations and provides a revised blueprint — one which first-year head coach Todd Bowles, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and the rest of the staff are left to discover in real time once the game begins.

The adjustments haven't done much to spark offense that ranks 28th in the NFL in scoring at just 17.2 points per game. There's been a clear lean toward Brady, as the unit leads the league in passing attempts and ranks dead last in rushing attempts.

It's contributed to a 6-7 record, including a 35-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday with rookie quarterback Brock Purdy making his first start.

The 45-year-old Brady's resume is certainly enough to justify him having a role in game-planning. He has won seven Super Bowl titles, three MVP awards and is considered by many to be the greatest of all time in the sport.

Yet it's hard not to wonder if his overruling of the coaching staff is problematic, especially with Tampa Bay continuing to struggle just two years after winning the Super Bowl.

Todd Bowles is in his first year as the team's head coach after replacing Bruce Arians in the offseason, coming in with a defensive background. Byron Leftwich, 42, is in his fourth year as the Bucs' offensive coordinator.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a disappointing 35-7 loss against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. After the game, Bucs quarterback Tom Brady didn't mince words when assessing Tampa Bay's performance.

"They kicked our ass," Brady told reporters. "That's just the reality of this sport. Every time you take the field, you have the opportunity to get your ass kicked or to kick ass. Obviously we were on the wrong end of it today."

The Buccaneers failed to put up any points in the first half of Sunday's game. The team's lone touchdown came on a deflected pass that landed in the hands of receiver Russell Gage.

Brady wasn't effective at all against the stout 49ers defense. He finished with 253 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, which came on back-to-back possessions at the beginning of the third quarter. The 45-year-old completed 34 passes on 55 attempts, his second successive game attempting 50 or more passes and fifth this season.

Even more concerning for Tampa Bay was the defensive performance, as the team's once-well-respected unit was dominated by a San Francisco offense led by rookie quarterback Brock Purdy. The 2022 seventh-round pick threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers. The Bucs also surrendered a total of 203 yards on the ground.

Despite being just 2-2 in their past four games, the Bucs maintain a one-game lead for first place in the NFC South with a 6-7 record. The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons (both 5-8) are not far behind. The Bucs will play both teams one more time this season.

If Tampa Bay can maintain its position, it will be in line for a home game in the postseason. The Bucs will look to put forth a better effort when they host the Cincinnati Bengals (9-4) next Sunday.

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were torn up by Mr. Irrelevant and the San Francisco 49ers 35-7 on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

Brock Purdy, the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft, was stellar in a beatdown of the Buccaneers, completing 16 of 21 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to rushing for three yards and a score in his first NFL start.

Brady, meanwhile, had one of his worst games of the season, and arguably his career, completing 34 of 55 passes for 253 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions.

The 45-year-old appears to finally be hearing the footsteps of Father Time, and he was ripped by NFL Twitter for yet another underwhelming performance in which he looked washed up:

Brady and the Buccaneers drop to 6-7 on the season with Sunday's loss, and they're in danger of not making the postseason.

With Brady looking as washed up as he did against the Niners, it might be wise for the Buccaneers to give Kyle Trask a shot, especially considering Brady is in the final year of his contract and probably won't return to Tampa Bay in 2023.

The Buccaneers will host the Cincinnati Bengals next weekend looking to get back to .500.

Tom Brady began his 23rd NFL season with plans on retiring at the end of the year—for real this time.

That may no longer be the case.

Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported "all options are on the table" for Brady at the end of the 2022 season. The future Hall of Famer will be an unrestricted free agent in March and could consider leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the right situation.

The Miami Dolphins were stripped of their 2023 first-round pick this offseason for tampering with Brady and former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton. It's unlikely Miami pursues Brady this offseason amid Tua Tagovailoa's breakout.

That said, there will no shortage of potential suitors this spring. The New York Jets and Giants are both playoff teams and are arguably a quarterback away from being legitimate contenders. The Indianapolis Colts could make Brady an offer to be the latest in their revolving door of veterans at the position.

While it's unlikely, the New England Patriots could decide Mac Jones isn't their quarterback of the future and decide to pursue Brady for a short-term reunion.

The Bucs will also certainly do everything in their power to re-sign Brady, but the seams are starting to show with their veteran core. Tampa heads into Week 14 at 6-6, with the once high-powered offense taking a massive step back in 2022.

Brady is on pace for just 23 touchdown passes this season after throwing for 83 over his first two years with the Bucs. He's spent much of the year failing to connect on deep passes and instead settling for checkdowns. Chris Godwin is averaging less than 10 yards per reception, while Mike Evans' 13.8 yards per catch is a joint career low.

At this point, the writing seems to be on the wall for Brady's time in Tampa. The offensive weapons are only going to be a year older and more expensive heading into 2023. Brady explored the possibility of moving on via retirement and to another team last offseason after an explosive regular-season performance.

With the Bucs clearly looking like a middle-of-the-pack team, retirement and leaving via free agency should be considered the favorites for Brady's plans come March.

Yet another NFL record fell at the hands of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady on Monday night.

With the Bucs trailing the New Orleans Saints 16-3 deep in the fourth quarter, Brady threw touchdown passes to tight end Cade Otton and running back Rachaad White inside the final three minutes to give Tampa a 17-16 win and himself his 44th career fourth-quarter comeback.

According to ESPN's Jenna Laine, that broke a tie with legendary Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning to give Brady the most fourth-quarter comebacks by an quarterback in NFL history.

The 45-year-old Brady has been used to playing ahead for most of his career, especially during his 20-year stint with the New England Patriots, but he has staged his fair share of dramatic comebacks as well.

Monday marked Brady's 328th career regular-season start, and he now owns a record of 249-79. Monday's comeback was not only the 44th of his career, but also his second of the season.

Brady has at least one fourth-quarter comeback in every season since 2001 with the exception of 2008, which was the season in which he suffered a torn ACL in the first game.

The comeback against New Orleans was perhaps among the most unlikely of his career, since he has struggled against the Saints during his time in Tampa and had never completed a comeback of 13 or more points in the fourth quarter of a regular-season game.

In fact, Brady's only fourth-quarter comeback from down 13 or more points in the fourth quarter before Monday was Super Bowl LI when the Patriots shocked the Atlanta Falcons in overtime, overcoming a 28-3 deficit overall.

So far this season, wins have not been as easy to come by for Brady and the Bucs.

The win against New Orleans improved Tampa Bay's record to 6-6 on the year. With five games remaining, Brady has already suffered more losses this season than in any season since 2009 when he and the Pats finished 10-6.

Brady has never finished with a losing record in his career, and Monday's win helped him take a big step toward keeping that remarkable stat intact.

While a 6-6 record would normally be cause of concern in terms of missing the playoffs, Brady and the Buccaneers are actually sitting pretty in the agonizingly bad NFC South.

At 6-6, the Bucs hold a 1.5-game lead over the Atlanta Falcons for first place in the division, and it is difficult to envision Tampa falling from that spot despite its issues this season.

A loss to the Saints would have left the Bucs at 5-7 and only a half-game ahead of the Falcons, though, meaning the 44th fourth-quarter comeback of Brady's career could prove to be one of his biggest.

Tom Brady's career is the NFL equivalent of the often-used Undertaker GIF. Just when everyone thinks it's OK to finally bury the veteran, he rises to the occasion. Eventually, even Mark Calaway was forced to retire the gimmick after a long and fruitful run. Before then, he provided memorable moment after memorable moment.

Remarkably, Brady on Monday did something he had never accomplished after it looked like the New Orleans Saints had his number once again. In the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 17-16 victory the 45-year-old future Hall of Famer threw for the last score with only eight seconds remaining at the snap—which marked the latest game-winning touchdown pass in Brady's historic career, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

"Just like we drew it up," Brady joked with reporters after the contest.

The Bucs now own a 6-6 record and 1.5-game lead in the NFC South. Brady's helping to pull another win from the jaws of defeat serves as a double-edged sword.

Simple appreciation of what he's done must be savored now, because his career will be over relatively soon. Conversely, the win sets up disappointment down the road.

On the positive side, Brady's teams have benefited with him behind center. Monday's result was the 44th comeback victory for the three-time league MVP, which broke a tie between Brady and his old rival, Peyton Manning. The performance also was the second instance of a Brady-led squad's winning after trailing by 13 or more points in the fourth quarter. The other? Super Bowl LI. (Sorry, Atlanta Falcons fans.)

The outcome and how it came about shouldn't blur who the Buccaneers are, though. Brady's potential last dance is fraught with obstacles.

Before looking toward the long term, Tampa Bay must handle business in the coming weeks. The schedule is manageable with an upcoming meeting against the San Francisco 49ers—when this year's Mr. Irrelevant, quarterback Brock Purdy, will make his first career start—and teams with losing records to round out the final three weeks of play.

Aside from the Cincinnati Bengals game in Week 15, four of the five remaining contests are winnable. The Buccaneers could win 10 on their way to a second consecutive division title.

History shows they're capable of doing so. After a slow start to the 2020 season, Brady and Co. hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. A significant difference exists between then and now, though. That year, Brady had just signed with the organization and needed to build a rapport with his receivers and rhythm within the offense.

Now, Tampa Bay is clearly deficient in certain areas.

The offensive line is almost completely rebuilt from a year ago. Tristan Wirfs' ankle injury last week only exacerbated an already glaring issue. The losses of left guard Ali Marpet (retirement), right guard Alex Cappa (free agency) and center Ryan Jensen (knee injury) created a lack of continuity up front front. Even bringing in Shaq Mason can do only so much when the unit is playing together for the first time and continuing to evolve.

A byproduct of rebuilding an offensive line on the fly is a significant downturn in the running game. At 73.3 rushing yards per contest, Tampa Bay owns the league's worst ground game by a significant margin (11.4 yards to be exact).

Furthermore, Brady is having one of the worst years of his career when it comes to pushing the ball down the field. The Buccaneers had one of the league's best wide receiver corps over the last two seasons, especially with Mike Evans on the outside since he's an elite vertical threat.

Yet the quarterback's 31 completion percentage on throws 20 or more yards down the field entering Monday's contest was Brady's worst since the '14 campaign, per ESPN. Brady missed multiple deep attempts against the Saints and didn't help to stretch the field. Only one connection, to Evans, was over 20 yards.

Instead, defenses are now constricting the playing area. They don't have to worry much about Tampa Bay's running attack or the threat of a big play. Brady also can't lean on the tight end position as much after his favorite target, Rob Gronkowski, retired.

Even so, Tampa Bay found a win to win...with a little help from New Orleans.

"I wish we would score more points against them," Brady said. "They make it really hard."

In the Saints' case, Dennis Allen's squad had the game in hand bud lost because of poor late-game management and mental mistakes. New Orleans had two opportunities to close out the contest. All it had to do was sustain a drive.

With 6:11 remaining and a 13-point lead, Mark Ingram II inexplicably ran out of bounds short of a first down without being touched. On the next play, 3rd-and-1 from Tampa Bay's 44-yard line, the Saints threw an incomplete pass instead of just running the ball. The Buccaneers responded with a 91-yard drive for their first touchdown.

During the following series, New Orleans went three-and-out with a pair of pass calls, including a sack on second down.

The Saints lost this meeting as much as the Buccaneers earned the victory. The setup is important, because it shows how fortunate Tampa Bay was to reach .500. Todd Bowles' group isn't playing particularly well, and a late-game rally doesn't portend a significant postseason run.

As for Brady and where he goes from this point, much will be decided in the offseason. The 23-year veteran isn't under contract beyond this season. He has said he would like to play until at least 2024, though his highly publicized divorce from Gisele Bündchen could change that.

If the NFL's all-time leading passer chooses not to return after this season, the type of moments seen from him Monday may never happen again with only five regular-season games left to play. Brady will walk away as the greatest player of all time. He's earned that designation. But he's no different than any professional athlete who preceded him. Eventually, Father Time wins.

A void will be left without the seven-time Super Bowl champion. But it's far from time to let his career rest. Brady appears to have one more age-defying stand left in him, and everyone should enjoy it for as long as it lasts.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.