"If you rest, you lose something" - Tom Brady could be out of regular season if Bruce Arians wants

Tom Brady has been a rock for his team in 2021. Some expected this season to be his final crumbling, but the Buccaneers are having a better season this year than last year when the Buccaneers didn't win the division.

This year, the team has wrapped up the division with a couple of weeks to spare. They now find themselves in the tough position of asking when to sit starters, if at all.

According to Heavy, Bruce Arians was asked about the situation with the starters during Sunday's press conference. Arians essentially kept the door open to sit Tom Brady for the last game of the regular season against the Carolina Panthers on January 9th.

"Yeah, now the last game, maybe, if nothing would change then we’d have to make a decision and see,” Arians said. “But I’ve always felt like if you rest, you lose something.”

The Buccaneers are still trailing the Green Bay Packers, who have the top seed in the NFC. Just a game behind, the Buccaneers have plenty to fight for.

The Buccaneers play the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers next. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers play the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions.

Depending on how next week goes, a number of outcomes could give the Buccaneers new reasons to sit their starters.

Cincinnati Bengals v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The risks and rewards of starting Tom Brady

The risk-reward decision is a classic case of "more wins, more problems." If the Buccaneers sit Tom Brady and the rest of the starters early, they risk letting them go cold. Meaning, they could show up rusty in the playoffs, which could lead to an early elimination. But if they play all of their starters, they risk hurting Tom Brady and other key pieces.

With the Buccaneers dealing with an injury bug already, it might be more tempting to give the final week's reps to the backups. What will Bruce Arians decide?

The last time Bruce Arians was in a position atop the NFC late in the season, he decided to sit his quarterback in the final game. Back in 2015, the Cardinals were 13-3 and played the Seattle Seahawks in their final game of the season.

Carson Palmer started the game, but he didn't finish it. Drew Stanton came in and played the remainder of the contest. The Cardinals lost the game 36-6, according to Pro Football Reference.

If Tom Brady doesn't play against the Panthers in Week 18, it means he has to throw for four touchdowns against the New York Jets in Week 17 to beat his season record with the Buccaneers.

Last season, Brady threw for 40 touchdowns. Currently, Brady has 37 touchdowns. If he manages to throw for four touchdowns and no interceptions against the Jets, he could set a new personal record with the team in both categories.