Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and Los Angeles Chargers signal-caller Justin Herbert took different routes in their first year in the NFL. For one, Brady was drafted 199th overall by the New England Patriots in the 2000 NFL Draft, while Herbert was the third quarterback taken in the 2020 NFL Draft when he was selected sixth overall by the Los Angeles Chargers. Second, Brady played only one game in his rookie year while the 22-year-old Herbert started 15 games for the Chargers, throwing for 4,336 yards with 31 touchdowns and ten interceptions as Los Angeles finished with a 6-9 mark.
However, Brady took over the starting job in his second season after Drew Bledsoe suffered an injury in Week 2 and captured the first of his six Super Bowls with the Patriots. The 43-year-old Brady recently won his seventh Super Bowl ring after leading the Buccaneers to a 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
Herbert calls Brady ‘competitor’
In an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Herbert said he’s hoping to experience some of Brady’s success as he enters his second season with the Chargers, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “I think anyone should aspire to be like Tom Brady, to have as much success as he’s had for as long as he’s been able to do it,” said Herbert, adding, “I don’t think there’s anyone that’s ever done anything like that before.
As a quarterback, Herbert said Brady has consistently put his team in a position to succeed. He’s a competitor, and he finds a way to win, and I think that’s the best part about it,” Herbert stressed. In their meeting last season, Herbert had a chance to score a huge upset when he gave the Chargers a 24-7 lead. Brady, however, sparked the Buccaneers’ huge comeback en route to a 38-31 win over the Chargers.
In that game, Brady threw for 369 yards and five touchdowns with one interception. Herbert, for his part, tossed for 290 yards and three scores with an interception.
Evans talks about Brady's leadership
After their Super Bowl LV win, Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans talked about Brady’s attention to detail that helped them win the game, per Andrew McCarty of The Spun.
In an interview on Michael Irvin’s podcast, Evans said Brady was texting them tons of clips and film on what to expect on certain down and distances. According to Evans, Brady always did that all the time, but he went above and beyond in the playoffs, especially before their game against the Chiefs. Evans added that Brady also texted them more details about their opponents around 12 midnight and six in the morning. Evans said Brady's details and their work during the extra meetings paid dividends as the Buccaneers won their first Super Bowl in 2002. “It all paid off, and Tom is a great leader,” Evans stressed.
