The GOAT says 'bye, Part Deux

 And this is the part where the Blob says this: Call me in 40 days.

If, in 40 days, Tom Brady does not announce he's coming back to the Buccaneers or going off as a senior-citizen-for-hire to Las Vegas or San Francisco or (dare we say it?) Indianapolis, then I'll believe he's not goofing us again. I'll believe, since this is Groundhog Day, that we're not reliving 2022 one more time.

Remember that?

On February 1, 2022, Rest Home Tom retired. Forty days later, he said, "Just kidding!"

On February 1, 2023, Rest Home Tom retired again. For good this time, he says.

To which the Blob says: We'll see.

But just in case he means it this time, let's pause to appreciate the greatest there ever was -- and, please, don't waste a drawn breath trying to debate it. Super Bowls are a lousy metric by which to judge a quarterback's career, but when you've been to 10 of them and won seven, the weight of numbers does tend to tip the scales in your favor.

Especially when the weight of numbers goes far beyond just how many rings adorn a man's hand.

Here are  some numbers: In 23 regular seasons, Brady threw for 89,214 yards, which means he threw for 50 miles in his career. That's five miles farther than the distance from Fort Wayne to Marion if you're keeping score at home.

Also, he threw 649 regular-season touchdown passes, 78 more than anyone else in NFL history. Also, he threw for 13,400 yards and 88 touchdowns in the playoffs, 6,061 more yards and almost twice as many touchdowns (43) than anyone else in history. 

Last season, at 45, he threw for 4,694 yards and 25 touchdowns. Only Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert passed for more yards.

And yet, it was an awful year for him. His team stunk. His wife left him. He looked thin and unhealthy and miserable most of the time. He's never been the joke-iest guy in the world, but his public countenance this season was dour even for him. Week after week, he looked like a welder who'd just come off his 10th straight third trick on the truck line.

If there's conclusive evidence that he really means it this time, this season might be it. Why would he want to go through that again?

Guess we'll find out.