Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman played 12 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 2000 and led the team to three Super Bowl victories. He played his last season in 2000, the same year Tom Brady entered the league as a 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. On Monday, the 45-year-old Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take on the Cowboys in the Wild Card Game, and Aikman was asked about him during "Sports Illustrated Media Podcast" recently.
During the podcast, Aikman showered Brady with praises, calling the Tampa Bay signal-caller as the “greatest to ever do it.” Aikman said Brady will get the ball out quickly and doesn’t create any negative plays, adding coaches know that they can’t keep him in the game.
"You give him a chance in the fourth quarter, it’s gonna be a tough finish," he added.
Aikman has a point as Brady now leads the league in game-winning touchdown drives with 55 and owns the record for most fourth-quarter comebacks with 44. But Aikman also roasted Brady during the podcast, saying he always kid Brady about being the “most unathletic quarterback in the game." “I’m 56 years old, and I’m pretty confident I can outrun him in the 40-yard dash,” said Aikman. Brady is undefeated in seven outings against the Cowboys in his Hall of Fame-bound career, and he plans to keep his immaculate record on Monday.
During Friday’s media conference, Brady said he’s focused on the playoff clash against the Cowboys and not on the rumors of his next destination next season.
With Brady set to become an unrestricted free agent next season, there were reports that he could be headed to the Miami Dolphins or the Las Vegas Raiders, two teams that are looking for stability in the quarterback position. But Brady said he’s focused on his preparation against the Cowboys, per Pro Football Talk.
Brady says there’s a lot of urgency this week
In their Week 1 clash, the Buccaneers emerged victorious over the Cowboys, 19-3, on the road. Now that the Cowboys are coming to Raymond James Stadium, Brady has reminded his teammates that there is no tomorrow for the Buccaneers if they don’t play with urgency, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com.
“I feel there's a lot of urgency naturally this week," Brady said, adding they are aware that they are playing for a chance to move on.
"You're going to have to make a play at the end,” added Brady, saying they should be on top of their game to boost their chance of winning their second Super Bowl title in three years. "It's not the best team that wins, it's the team that plays the best wins," Brady pointed out. The Buccaneers won their second Super Bowl title in Brady’s first season with the team with a 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. Last season, the Buccaneers fell short as they lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.
