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Tom Brady made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers relevant again the minute he showed up in town. He led the team to a Super Bowl win last season and is playing like an MVP to keep the team on championship pace this year.
Before Brady's arrival, Tampa Bay had not made it to the playoffs since 2007 and last won a Super Bowl in the 2002 season. However, the franchise always lacked a superstar quarterback. Turnover was normal at the position and former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston could not even earn a second contract.
Brady has taken the franchise to new heights and set a new standard at the position. Which raises the question: Is he already the greatest quarterback in Buccaneers history?
Not much competition for Tom Brady in Tampa Bay
Brady is already tied for second in franchise history with 80 touchdown passes alongside former Buccanners quarterback Josh Freeman. Brady reached that mark in only 32 games and is expected to break the tie in Week 18. Winston is first with 121 touchdowns.
However, some might agree that the most important stats of all are those concerning the postseason. Brady is 4-0 in the playoffs with Tampa Bay, bringing them a Super Bowl as a result. Brad Johnson was the last quarterback to do that and has three postseason wins of his own. That gives Brady and Johnson seven of the franchise's 10 postseason wins in total.
Yet Johnson only had 22 touchdowns and just over 3,000 yards in that magical 2002 season. Brady, meanwhile, had 40 touchdowns as he threw for 4633 yards in his Super Bowl winning season with the Buccaneers last year.
Winning a Super Bowl is what matters most to any NFL franchise. Brady and Johnson are the only two quarterbacks to get the Buccaneers to that mountaintop. The difference is that Brady has put the team on his back and completely changed the organization's expectations and in turn its culture from his first day in town.
He also happens to be one of the greatest NFL players of all time. The fact he is dominating this season at the age of 44 only adds to his legacy. How many other 40-year-old quarterbacks could have shown up in Tampa Bay and won a title right away?
Brady is currently making a strong case as the greatest quarterback in Buccaneers history. And if he sticks around for another year or two, it might not even be up for debate. The stats should then tell the tale, regardless of his Super Bowl success.
The goal now in Tampa Bay should be to figure out how to develop the next great quarterback after Brady leaves, someone who could one day build a long-lasting legacy with the Buccaneers.
