Before Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady announced his retirement on Tuesday, he spoke to quarterback Joe Burrow on the Let's Go! podcast with Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray. Below are a few highlights of the old dog teaching the new 'cat' his tricks.
TOOLS IN THE SHED
Brady spoke about what he sees in a Burrow.
Brady (10:21): "I think (Joe has) some tools that I didn't quite have when I was his age. Super impressed by how he's kind of come into the league. … Two years into his career after a really tough injury last year (he) showed a lot mental, physical toughness coming back and having an incredible season."
STRUCTURALLY SOUND
Burrow on his confidence with his knee post-injury (12:00): "I think my confidence in myself hasn't really changed. I would say my confidence in my body, being able to physically do the things I needed to win games has changed throughout the year. At the beginning of the year, I was basically eight months out from my surgery. I wasn't quite making as many plays as I had in the past with my legs.
"So, I kind of had to rethink the way I was playing early in the year, trying to play more in the pocket within the structure of the offense. Then, about halfway through the year after the bye week, I gained a little more confidence in my knee and I was starting to make some of those plays in the pocket. Making people miss, the way I had before the injury.
"Then I was kind of able to do the things that I wanted to from there on out."
TOUGH SON OF A GUN
Brady on Burrow's toughness as a signal-caller.
Brady (13:52): "I love it. I love it, because there are very few ways to display toughness for a quarterback. We don't play at the line of scrimmage, we don't have to block, we don't have to tackle, we don't have to hit anybody. The way we can show our toughness is to stand in the pocket and make throws. Sometimes you get the (crap) knocked out of you and you got to get up and go on to the next play.
"You don't ever want to show anyone, 'Man, you really got me good on that.' I think what I love about Joe's game is he does just that. He gets knocked down, he gets up and he's ready for the next play."
RETIREES
Burrow has the chance to do something special come Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13.
Gray (21:47): "Before we came on the air, Tom said something that gave me quite a chuckle and he probably didn't want to say it because of the sensitivity around it but I can, I'll repeat it for him. He said, he hopes you are the first person to win the Heisman Trophy, a college football championship and a Super Bowl. He said if that happens, you should go out on top and retire."
LISTEN TO THE LET'S GO! PODCAST
Fans can listen to the whole podcast with these links:
