PITTSBURGH — This isn't about what Tom Brady has accomplished on the football field. You already know he's legendary, from winning seven Super Bowls — which is one more than the Steelers and his former New England Patriots — to joining Peyton Manning as the only quarterbacks to win Super Bowls with two different franchises to matching the great Otto Graham, who went to 10 consecutive championship games with the Cleveland Browns from 1946-55, won seven and just might be the real GOAT.
Yes, there really was pro football before the Super Bowl era.
This is about what Brady did off the field this season. It was unimaginable just a few months ago. It was thought to be impossible. It has to rank as one of his greatest achievements.
Brady brought Antonio Brown back into the NFL, kept him in line against overwhelming odds, threw a touchdown pass to him last Sunday night in the 31-9 win against the Kansas City Chiefs and watched him become a world champion.
"Antonio and I connected right away," Brady said a few days before Super Bowl LV. "He has a great love for the game. He's a real perfectionist about how he plays, how he takes care of himself. Incredible football IQ. And then, again, a great skill-set just as a player ...
"I think he made incredible strides over the last 12 months to get from where he was at to where he's at now. Everybody is dealing with life. It's not always the easiest thing for all of us. So you just try to provide some words of support or advice. We need to care for people more and allow people to blossom and be the best they could be. You want to ultimately see them succeed."
I would have bet my house against it happening with Brown.
After Brown quit on the Steelers and Oakland Raiders? After he threw furniture off a balcony and nearly hurt a child? After he was accused of sexual assault? After he assaulted a delivery man? After he cursed at police and screamed at the mother of three of his children with the kids looking on? After he was out of football for all of the 2019 season except for one game? After he was suspended for the first eight games of this past season?
Are you kidding?
I would have bet everything I own that I wouldn't see Brown in a post-Super Bowl Zoom call thrusting his fist in the air and saying, "I'm super grateful to be at this point. To finally be a champion!"
I would have lost everything because of Brady.
Brady talked Bill Belichick into taking a chance on Brown early in the 2019 season after he bailed on the Steelers and Raiders. Brown lasted one game with the New England Patriots — he caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Brady against Miami — before being released after the allegations of sexual assault against him became public. Brady talked Bruce Arians into taking a chance on Brown with the Buccaneers in October. Brady made sure Brown was a big part of the offense, throwing six touchdown passes to him in the final six games, including the postseason. Brady even delivered a $250,000 bonus to Brown by completing 11 passes to him in the final regular-season game against Atlanta, the last three receptions for 3, 6 and 2 yards in the final 2 minutes.
None of it would have happened without Brady.
I know that.
You know that.
Brown knows that.
"Tom is a great guy," he said after the win against the Chiefs, wearing a Super Bowl champion ball cap and T-shirt. "He's been in my corner since Day 1. A big brother to me. Always believed in me. Took me under his wing. Helped me get the right perspective."
Later, during that same Zoom interview, Brown teared up when talking about Brady.
"It's been a tremendous honor working with Tom. He's a legend. He's a winner. He's a good leader. One of the best human beings I know. I can't speak enough what he's meant to me."
Seeing Brown's smile — I'm thinking it was the biggest and brightest in all of Tampa — was enough thanks for Brady.
"So impressed by him, proud of him," Brady said. "Since he got here, he's just done everything the right way."
Well, not quite everything.
It turns out Brown ran the wrong route on his 1-yard touchdown catch that gave the Buccaneers a 21-6 lead against the Chiefs with :06 left in the first half. He was supposed to zig in and then zig out, Buccaneers quarterback coach Clyde Christensen told the Pat McAfee Show. Brown zigged out and then in.
Brady adjusted, of course, and threw a perfect ball to Brown.
Because he's Brady.
Because it was the Super Bowl.
Here's the interesting thing:
Brown often ran the wrong route with the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger adjusted enough to become the greatest quarterback in franchise history and help Brown become the greatest receiver. Both are headed to the Hall of Fame.
There's only one thing Roethlisberger couldn't do for Brown:
Make Brown a Super Bowl champion.
Only Brady could do that.
