Days before their clash with the Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady shared a cryptic post on his Instagram account. The 43-year-old Brady posted a smiling photo of himself wearing a Buccaneers orange practice uniform with the caption "what stands in the way becomes the way," a quote by Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoic philosopher. Brady's caption was part of a quote made famous by Aurelius, which says, "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
While Brady's reason for posting the quote remains a mystery, it may refer to the Buccaneers' upcoming clash with the Packers on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
Among those who commented on Brady's post is wife Gisele Bundchen, who reacted with "yes!!!!" with a fist bump gesture. Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman and Jamie Collins, Brady's former teammate with the New England Patriots, also reacted to the post.
Packers toughest test so far for Buccaneers
The undefeated Packers (4-0) are considered the toughest test for the Buccaneers, who are in a three-way tie for the NFC South lead with the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers with identical 3-2 marks. The Buccaneers seemed to find their rhythm with three straight wins following their Week 1 loss to the Saints. However, the Buccaneers were stopped in their tracks after dropping a close 20-19 loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football.
In that loss, the Buccaneers committed 11 penalties that led to a loss of 109 yards, allowing the Bears to erase an early 13-point deficit. The loss put the Buccaneers in a tight spot as they have entered the week as two-point underdogs to the Packers. Luckily for the Buccaneers, Brady is flawless against the Packers in their last four outings, throwing for 946 yards and nine touchdowns without an interception in 125 passes during his career with the New England Patriots.
Overall, Brady has a 3-2 mark against the Packers, including 1-1 against Rodgers. The Buccaneers hope to get back some of their key players against the Packers, including Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin, who was limited in Wednesday's practice. Pro Bowler wide receiver Mike Evans and cornerback Carlton Davis missed Wednesday's practice due to ankle and abdomen issues, respectively.
.@TomBrady's powerful message from the @WomensSportsFdn Awards 🙌 pic.twitter.com/dCuxfBsc3U
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 15, 2020
Brady supports gender equality
Brady expressed his support for gender equality in sports in a video message for the Women's Sports Foundation's 2020 Annual Salute to Women. "I had three sisters growing up, and all of them were great athletes-- arguably better than myself as an athlete," Brady said in his speech posted by Yahoo! Sports, adding that he learned the value of equality in sports and life. Brady also thanked WSF and its founder Billie Jean King for coming up with programs to ensure that women in sports are given a fair shake. Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians was the 2020 recipient of the Champion for Equality Awards during the ceremony. Arians has two women coaches with the Buccaneers -- assistant strength and conditioning coach Maral Javadifar and assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust.