It seems like we will need to put up with the Tom Brady retirement drama until he decides what he wants to do. He said he didn't want to be a distraction to the playoffs, but he already is as one of the league's biggest stars.
I think he still wants to keep playing, but is hearing it from his wife and family that they need him at home.
It's not an easy decision.
The NFL had another great day of close games in the playoffs that went into overtime or the final minutes.
It will be interesting to see the television ratings. They should be very high.
Can the Super Bowl be a competitive game like the last two weeks?
While watching the television coverage of a snow blizzard, there was breaking news about Tom Brady concerning his future plans.
ESPN is reporting that this is the end for him after 22 seasons. He said in recent years that he wanted to play until he was 45, but that won't happen.
At least he will leave at the top of his game after having one of his best statistical seasons ever. He also knows that the Bucs will only be able to sign a small portion of their pending free agents.
This season was their best opportunity to go to the Super Bowl again.
I think the only reason they play the Pro Bowl is because of television. They must make money on the broadcast or wonder why they don't.
Many wonder why they play this pointless game. The NFL is a team sport. You just can't put a group of guys together and expect great things.
Tom Brady has set just about every NFL passing record, but there are some he won't ever have.
When Ben Roethslisberger announced his retirement today from the Steelers, he established a record that might never get broken.
His 18 consecutive seasons of playing quarterback for the same team is something Brady never accomplished.
In this age of huge contracts, it's hard to imagine anyone doing this.
Spring football has never been successful for various reasons. Leagues folded because of finances.
The second version of the USFL has a chance to be successful. They are owned by Fox Sports which will broadcast the games for the eight teams.
They will also play all of their games in Birmingham, Alabama. This will help in keeping some of the cost down and give the league a chance of survival.
Television ratings will determine the future in 2023.
We are now discussing whether Tom Brady, Ben Roethslisberger or Aaron Rodgers will play next season.
It's too early for them to decide. There are so many things to consider. It's hard to believe they will all return.
They are year to year at this point.
The NFL can take joy in knowing they had four very competitive games that all came down to the last play. That's all you can ever hope for when it comes to fan engagement.
The Bills and Chiefs game will go down as an epic game to be replayed forever like so many great NFL games.
The Bucs and Rams will face each other for a chance to play in the NFC Championship game against the 49er's. It could create a Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo match-up in that game.
What happens if the Bucs lose? Will this be Brady's last game? He has been non-committal about next year with one year left on his contract.
Nobody knows the answer, but the end for Brady is sooner rather than later.
The season is over for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers after their stunning 13-10 loss to the 49er's in the last minutes. It was a great game for the fans as it had snow and cold in Green Bay.
Is this the last game for Rodgers in Green Bay? It has been a frustrating post-season for him in his 17 years there.
It's over now. He has the next move.
Boston sports talk radio is rather crazy right now with its conversation about the Pats. They either want to move on from Bill Belichick or get rid of Mac Jones.
People are saying things that don't make any sense, but talk radio is like that.
Everyone needs to realize that the team won 10 games and went to the playoffs. That was a great accomplishment.
I don't understand what their problem is. They were never going to play in the AFC Championship Game.
The four games this weekend have some interesting over and unders. Las Vegas seems to feel that points will be scored in the four games.
The totals vary from 47 to 54.5, but that's a big difference from the typical NFL week.
It remains to be seen how many coaches, scouting personnel and others leave the Pats. It happens annually with Coach Belichick's staff and program.
He keeps bringing young people in to fill any vacancies. The key is to have them spend seasons here before they move on. Many want to experience success now.
The list is long for people who have left, but BB is not responsible for their success once they leave the program.
Money gets thrown at people and everything changes. Why not take a job that might not work out?
The TV broadcasts always come up with amazing statistics and small bits of interesting information.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford started 186 games in 13 seasons before he ever had a playoff victory like he did tonight against the Cardinals. He broke the record of 174 held by Hall of Fame member Fran Tarkenton.
Who knows what will happen this weekend against Tom Brady and the Bucs.
The Steelers lost to the Chiefs tonight in their Wild Card game. Was this the last we will ever see of Ben Roethlisberger with the Steelers? So many things point to that, but who knows as he will be a free agent.
It was good to see him playing to the end of the game. He was that type of player.
The playoffs begin with six games this weekend to determine who advances. The Packers and Chiefs will join them after having byes.
Fans with teams playing should be happy that they have at least one more game to watch. It will end badly for six of them.
The Pats have been written off by many. Their season either ends tonight or they plan for one more.
The Boston media is doing their usual hype for the Pats and Bills playoff game. There is no "Road to the Super Bowl" story unless they win tomorrow night.
No matter how it ends, we will be forced to listen to endless analysis and needless comments.
The game will be decided by this time tomorrow night.
The New York Giants did a total house cleaning with the firing of GM Dave Gettlemen and coach Joe Judge. They had few options after finishing 4-13 with a very bad team.
Ownership needs to hire the right GM and coach. That could prove very daunting. They will be looking for their fourth head coach since they fired Tom Coughlin after the 2015 season.
There are no guarantees that they will get it right this time.
Coach Belichick always raves about the quality of players in the SEC. The conference dominates the draft every year as well as the football playoffs.
When I was watching Georgia and Alabama the other night, I was wondering if any of them will be with the Pats next season.
Players from those two schools have a huge presence on the roster.
The Broncos want to interview Pats assistant coach Jerod Mayo for their head job. It's a goal that Mayo has been public about during his time on Coach Belichick's staff.
Anyone who takes the head job realizes that they will get fired at some point. It happens to everyone. Mayo just needs to look at the recent firings of Brian Flores and Joe Juddge from the Dolphins and Giants respectively. He can also check with Matt Patricia.
If he doesn't get hired this year, he will after next season.
I'm watching the College Football National Championship game between Alabama and Georgia.
The guide said 8-11:45pm. It's easy to see why with this lengthy half-time show that I forgot about.
It's also important to get all the commercials in that pay for all this.
With a score of 9-6, teams have moved the ball, but forced to settle for field goals.
That's fine with me, as I took the under of 52 total points.
The Raiders completed an amazing journey to the playoffs with a 35-32 win over the Chargers in OT. As the clock wound down, they faced the possibility of a tie which would get both teams into the playoffs at the expense of the Steelers.
The Raiders won in the last seconds, but at least Steelers live on for another game.
Tomorrow will be the final games of the 2021 NFL season. Playoffs begin next week for those teams involved.
Monday will be a bad day for many coaching staffs as they will be terminated. It happens every season. Some will find new jobs right away. Others will be left hanging and some will never coach again.
There are many players who are playing their last game ever tomorrow. Some retire on their own while the decision is made for others. They just don't know that yet.
Everyone thinks the Pats will beat the Dolphins on Sunday. Las Vegas is giving Miami 6.5 points. We should recognize that Coach Belichick has a 2-5 record when playing a December game in Miami.
We shall see if the Pats can win the game. The over and under at this hour is 39.5.
Jets WR Braxton Berrios was drafted by the Pats in the 6th round in 2018. He spent the season on IR and was released in the final cutdown of training camp in 2019 before the Jets claimed him off waivers.
Berrios was caught up in a numbers game with the Pats. He has emerged as a solid receiver for the Jets with 46 receptions for 431 yards and three TD's. He was also named an alternate kick returner for the Pro Bowl.
Players throughout the league are often a victim of roster numbers. Many need to leave the team that drafted them if they hope to have a future.
The Pats need to play well on Sunday and beat the Dolphins. They don't want to take a step back
They will most likely be on the road to play their potential playoff opponent. It doesn't matter who they are. They need to win the game or the season is over.
How much did Antonio Brown hurt himself and his future with his outburst in the game against the Jets?
Will he ever play again in the NFL? There are always teams willing to overlook player issues, but he may have gone too far for a lot of teams.
He might need to sit most of the 2022 season. but the goal is to get back. His immense talent gets him so many chances,
Ben Roethlisberger has probably played his last game tonight in Pittsburgh after 18 seasons. The team knows he is not the future for them. Will he retire or try to play with another team?
The Pats are going to the playoffs and won 10 games.
The Las Vegas oddsmakers bet against them.
They had a line of 9.5 wins.
We are almost at the end of the college bowl games with the exception of the National Championship and the Texas Bowl on Tuesday between LSU and Kansas State.
They had 44 scheduled, but several were canceled because of Covid issues. To play this many games is a great success.
