The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on to the NFC Championship game for the first time since 2002. Their quarterback, Tom Brady, has played in eight Super Bowls in that span.
That kind of winning pedigree is why the Bucs hitched their wagon to the 43-year-old QB last spring, and that decision has paid off immensely. Brady's positive impact through his first season in Tampa Bay both on and off the field cannot be understated.
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On Wednesday, wide receiver Mike Evans perfectly summed up how Brady transformed the Bucs from a team with the second-longest postseason drought to a Super Bowl contender.
“He’s the greatest player to ever play the game. If you add him on any roster, I’m sure the outcome would be somewhat like this,” Evans said. “He always gets his teams to the playoffs. He’s a winner. He’s a natural-born winner, leader, all that. At this point in his career, he’s just playing chess and we’re definitely very happy that he’s on our side.”
Evans hauled in 70 catches for 1,006 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns with Brady as his QB in 2020. The three-time Pro Bowler had six receptions for 119 yards in the Bucs' wild-card game vs. Washington, then caught one of Brady's two TD passes in the Divisional Round win over New Orleans.
The Bucs are betting underdogs for Sunday's NFC Championship game vs. the Green Bay Packers. Kickoff for the anticipated Tom Brady vs. Aaron Rodgers showdown is set for 3:05 p.m. ET.