Following a brief 40-day retirement, Tom Brady announced his decision to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his 23rd NFL season. While Brady’s presence is a welcome sight, the Bucs will be minus one familiar face as Bruce Arians stepped down as the team’s head coach after three seasons at the helm. Replacing Arians is Tampa Bay’s now former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who was promoted to the head job.
The Buccaneers have +750 NFL odds to win the Super Bowl, the second-best in the league.
As is typical with a Brady-led squad, the 2022 schedule sees the Bucs awarded a maximum of five primetime appearances, with matchups against the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints, and Arizona Cardinals.
45 years old and not slowing down. Happy birthday to the ?? @TomBrady! pic.twitter.com/MvudLKt6OS
— NFL (@NFL) August 3, 2022
In what could be Brady’s final NFL campaign, here is the road ahead for the Bucs as they begin their quest for a second Lombardi Trophy in three years.
Week 1 @ Dallas Cowboys
Date:'Sunday, September 11
Time:'8:20 p.m. ET
The Buccaneers open their season against America’s Team for the second consecutive year, only this time on the road. Tampa Bay squeaked out a 31-29 victory last season, a game in where quarterbacks Tom Brady and Dak Prescott combined for 782 passing yards and seven touchdowns. Another high-scoring affair could be in the cards this time around.
Week 2 @ New Orleans Saints
Date:'Sunday, September 18
Time:'1:00 p.m. ET
Tampa Bay has lost the past four regular-season meetings since Brady arrived in 2020. The Saints are just one of two teams with a winning record against Brady in his legendary career.
Week 3 vs. Green Bay Packers
Date:'Sunday, September 25
Time:'4:25 p.m. ET