In the battle of Tom vs. Time, Tom is winning, and itĆ¢ĀĀs not even close. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In todayās FOX Sports Insider: Common wisdom says Tom Brady should be at the end of his career, but as the 43-year-old QB gets ready for his 10th Super Bowl appearance, he doesnāt care much for common wisdom ... we take a look at the unsung hero in Rob Gronkowskiās return to the NFL ... and DeMar DeRozan reacts to Fred VanVleet breaking his single-game scoring record. In sports, we are obsessed with what comes next. Thatās why mock drafts are as popular as drafts, why there is such a thing as a preseason All-American, why you might read a āway-too-earlyā power rankings for the next year before the current season is even over and why an outlet once (jokingly) guessed the outcome of the next 25 Super Bowls. Given our adoration of athletic crystal ball gazing, imagine this situation and cast your mind to how weād react to it. Thereās a hopeful young quarterback, in his first season with a new team. Heās played smart in a good system, backed by a great defense, and surprised everyone by out-dueling the league MVP and making it to the Super Bowl, where heāll face big odds and the reigning champs. If it was the Buffalo Billsā Josh Allen or the Los Angeles Chargersā Justin Herbert in this position, sure, weād be talking about their chances of winning this yearās championship, but weād be spending even more time talking about ā¦ whatās next? Weād be debating how good they were going to become, about their potential status as one of the figureheads of the league, prognosticating how the following few years might unfold. So why arenāt we doing it for Tom Brady? [STORY IMAGE 1] The average shelf life of an NFL player is 3.3 years, which means that in essence, as he gears up for arguably the most testing Super Bowl he has faced, Brady has had six careers. Knowing what we know about him, is it such an absurd notion that heād have one more? āI would definitely consider that,ā Brady, 43, said earlier this week, ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneersā clash with the Kansas City Chiefs, when asked about prolonging his career past 45. āIt's a physical sport. You never know when that moment is.ā Brady puts us in a weird spot, because for the last few years heās confounded everything we thought we knew about quarterbacks at that stage of their career, and now heās in uncharted waters so weāve got nothing to go off. Except this. Assuming, as we now safely can, that Bradyās obsessive commitment to a hardcore health regimen means he feels as physically strong as say, your average 34-year-old QB, why would we think he couldnāt reproduce something similar to what he did this year once the 2021 campaign rolls around? And if he can match figures like 4,833 yards and 40 touchdowns, combined with the gravitas and calm he brings, and if he decided he wanted to carry on, why wouldnāt the Bucs rush to give him a new deal once his current, two-year, $50 million contract expires? [STORY IMAGE 2] The realities of life mean every player is always getting gradually closer to the end of their career, yet Brady is extending both his expiration date and the perception of when it is likely. In the battle of Tom vs. Time, Tom is winning, handily. If he truly does have his heart set on playing into the 2022 season and beyond, it wouldnāt be a surprise to see him agree to a deal that was even more team friendly. These days, $25 million-per for a playoff-tested QB is the bargain of all bargains. When QBs get past a certain point their hunger and desire begin to be questioned, sometimes unfairly. Thereās no use in doubting those things with Brady any longer, for heās proved them just by still being here. āI think itās a combustible mix of greatness and underdog, and you never see those things hit together,ā [FS1ās Kevin Wildes said, on First Things First](. āThe fact he has gotten older and older and older and heās at the same time the best ever and an underdog - itās a cycle of motivation that will keep him going to 45 and beyond.ā [STORY IMAGE 3] Brady sticking around in Tampa a while longer could become a problem for the rest of the NFC. It is not outrageous to think that with an additional (and less disrupted) preseason, the Bucs offense could start to click even better and that Bradyās cohesion with big targets like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will improve further. Brady is the finest QB thinker there has ever been and head coach Bruce Arians is learning to put certain pieces around him with careful timing. Itās not always what youād expect, like when [Scotty Miller exploded towards the end zone like an Olympic sprinter for that crucial pre-halftime touchdown against the Green Bay Packers.]( If the Tampa defense remains this good, Brady will usually be asked to do no more than what heās capable of, which is the perfect situation for him. Thatās the heart of this exercise in projection. For as long as he is able to play within his limits, on a team that knows how to make the most of what heās got, thereās no reason to stop unless he wants to. Every QBās time runs out eventually, but once you take away the physical part of it - remember Brady has been almost injury free ā it changes the rules drastically. [STORY IMAGE 4] āThis is the modern athlete, (benefitting from) modern science, technology,ā [former All-Pro Brandon Marshall said.]( āThe game is different. If we were talking about a running back we wouldnāt be having this conversation.ā Brady has now been doing this so long that the sacrifices donāt feel like sacrifices anymore. Living healthy, getting tons of sleep, drinking lots of water, having a personal plant-based chef and adhering to a diet that most people couldnāt fathom? Brady actually likes that part and it wonāt look markedly different when heās done. When heās done. Common wisdom said heād be done already. Brady, you might have noticed, doesnāt care much for common wisdom. Heās thinking, even now, about whatās next. [STORY IMAGE 5] Hereās what others have said ... Skip Bayless, Undisputed: āHe's the ultimate competitor, and just likes to compete at the highest level. It's fun for him, it's not pressure, there's no relentless drudgery to his life right now.ā Colin Cowherd, The Herd: āTom Bradyās only true rival is time ā¦ and heās beating that. He doesnāt need our help.ā Nick Wright, First Things First: āIf Tom Brady can maintain anywhere close to this, he can keep playing for a long time. I think everyone can agree with that ā¦ He seems to show no interest in anything else other than football, aside from TB12. Itās fascinating how maniacal he is in his focus. I donāt remember us seeing that in anyone else.ā [IN OTHER WORDS] - For Rob Gronkowski, coming to Tampa meant he could chase another ring, and spend quality time with his mom. [ESPN staff writer Mike Reiss]( takes a look at the unsung hero in Gronkās return to the NFL.
- Set on the road to the NBA by the sacrifices made by his mother, Jayson Tatum is evolving into one of the leagueās most dangerous players. [Sports Illustratedās Chris Mannix]( pens a piece on the education of Jayson Tatum.
- Can Jim Harbaugh revive Michigan? During an offseason of change, a recruiting revamp could be the start of something special for the Wolverines. [Yahoo Sports columnist Dan Wetzel]( has the story. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Fred VanVleet set a new franchise record with 54 points in Torontoās 123-108 win over the Orland Magic on Tuesday night. Former Raptors standout DeMar DeRozan held the previous record of 52 points, which came back in 2018 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Following VanVleetās incredible game, DeRozan made sure to shout out his former teammate on Twitter and take a friendly jab at his good friend Kyle Lowry in the process. āCongrats to my brotha Freddy V,ā wrote DeRozan. āKyleās old ass couldnāt do it.ā Of course, Lowry and DeRozan are best friends, having spent six seasons as teammates in Toronto. Very well done, DeMar! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Kentucky at Missouri (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET)
Brandon Boston Jr, and the Kentucky Wildcats travel to Missouri to take on Xavier Pinson and the No. 18-ranked Missouri Tigers. Seton Hall at Providence (FS1, 7 p.m. ET)
Sandro Mamukelashvili and the Seton Hall Pirates battle David Duke and the Providence Friars in a Big East matchup. WWE NXT (USA, 8 p.m. ET)
In the wake of a marathon Royal Rumble win, Edge is headed back to WWE NXT. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet](
Super Bowl LV
Chiefs to win, Chiefs 21-or-more total points and Patrick Mahomes 225-or-more passing yards: -138 Super Bowl prop bets are always enjoyable, and this one is no exception. FOX Bet is offering a prop bet for the Chiefs to win the game, to score 21-or-more points and Patrick Mahomes to pass for 225-or-more yards. Hereās the bottom line with this bet ā¦ if you think the Chiefs are going to win the Super Bowl, then you should feel comfortable about the other two parts of this bet. The Chiefs averaged 30 points per game this season and are scoring at the same rate this postseason. Patrick Mahomes averaged 316 passing yards per game during the regular season and 290 yards per contest in the playoffs. In other words, if youāre confident in the Chiefs, go ahead and lock this in! [WHAT THEY SAID] āIf you don't play to win, don't play at all.ā ā Tom Brady [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV](
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