With the end of an era for Tom Brady with the New England Patriots and signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, we get to see exciting new matchups for Brady in the 2020 NFL season — permitted COVID-19 is taken care of by then.
Even with sports in serious jeopardy and the start of the NFL season still six months away from returning, Tampa Bay signing Brady has given us one of the crazier free agent signings we’ve seen in quite some time.
Now a member of the NFC South, Brady will play the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and New Orleans Saints twice a year, in which, is sure to give us some exciting quarterback matchups.
Tom Brady and 2020 Divisional Opponents
Atlanta Falcons
With a number of roster and coaching changes since Super Bowl LI, you can still bet on Atlanta having strong emotions since losing to Brady in an epic Super Bowl for the ages. Matt Ryan will have two shots to beat Tampa Bay led by Brady in 2020. While it won’t erase any 28-3 lead jokes, beating a team that has become more competitive this offseason is a good step, nonetheless.
For Brady, it would be a notch for Tampa Bay to start asserting themselves as contenders within the division considering the last time they won the NFC South was back in 2007. Conversely, it was also the last time they qualified for the playoffs. Can Brady take them back to the playoffs in 2020 with the addition of an extra Wild Card team?
Carolina Panthers
Carolina has been in flux the past few seasons with injuries to star quarterback Cam Newton and former head coach Ron Rivera leaving to the Washington Redskins. Since Free Agency began, Carolina has signed former New Orleans quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and traded Kyle Allen to Washington.
The emergence of a proven quarterback such as Bridgewater could put Carolina in the thick of things within the division, but something Brady exceeded at with New England is not allowing other quarterbacks to usurp him. Given this will be both a first for both quarterbacks entering the NFC South, they could be the two teams looking to control the NFC South come December.
New Orleans Saints
No doubt the moment Tom Brady signed with Tampa Bay, we all couldn’t help think of the epic games Brady and Drew Brees are going to have in 2020. New Orleans has been top-dog in the NFC South — and with Brees on the tail-end of his career — decided to come back this season proves his team can be Super Bowl contenders.
However, one of the most frustrating things opponents of Brady have found out the hard way is having their Super Bowl dreams smashed. It’s too early to tell how this Tampa Bay team will fair in terms Brady’s past success with New England, but one thing’s for sure, Brady will do everything in his power to help his team win.
Non-Divisional Opponents
Tampa Bay’s rotating schedule had been determined before Brady’s arrival in Tampa Bay, and due to their third-place finish in the NFC South, we know who they’ll play outside of the division.
Next month before the NFL Draft takes place, the NFL will release the official schedule for all 32 teams to give us a sense of Tampa Bay plays who and when. In addition to the NFC South, Tampa Bay will play the NFC North and AFC West as part of their division’s rotating schedule — while also playing the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams due to their third-place finish withing their respective divisions.
Chicago Bears
Whether it’s Nick Foles or Mitch Trubisky, Tom Brady is no stranger to the Windy City and the Chicago Bears. In fact, Brady has never lost at Soldier Field and is a perfect 5-0 against them in his storied career.
Denver Broncos
Another team Brady has a ton of history with is the Denver Broncos. Although they may no longer be led by Peyton Manning, Brady has had some struggles while playing in Mile High in the past. But with a new team comes new opportunities for Brady and Co.
Detroit Lions
The last time Tom Brady played against the Detroit Lions, they were upset by Matthew Stafford and Matt Patricia on Sunday Night Football two seasons ago. Although, they won the Super Bowl that season, Brady will look to exact his revenge against Mo-Town while donning Red and Black.
Green Bay Packers
This matchup just screams Sunday Night Football to pit Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in a primetime spectacle against Tampa Bay to start the season. We’ll learn next month if this comes to fruition or not but whenever they do meet, you can expect another epic from both future Hall of Famers.
Kansas City Chiefs
It appeared that the rivalry between Patrick Mahomes and Brady was going to be a yearly occurrence between the two. And we’ll at least get one more game between the two this season. Has the torch truly been passed to Mahomes or does Brady have one more victory in him?
Las Vegas Raiders
We’ll never know how close the Las Vegas Raiders were to signing Brady this offseason, but at least we’ll get to see them play one another. Who made the right choice in the end?
Los Angeles Chargers
If there’s one team Brady has truly dominated through his career, then it’s the Los Angeles Chargers. Boasting a 6-2 record and never once losing to Philip Rivers, the Chargers have struggled against Brady as a Patriot. Will the trend continue with the Bucs?
Los Angeles Rams
We’ll get three Super Bowl rematches — well, a quarterback versus team — this season in 2020. The Los Angeles Rams were headed towards superstardom — until they ran into Brady. No matter the team, Los Angeles will look to give Brady a loss they were unable to do in Super Bowl LII.
Minnesota Vikings
While the Minnesota Vikings decided to extended Kirk Cousins this offseason, they ended up losing Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills. Will they have enough firepower to keep up with the new-look Buccaneers?
New York Giants
Daniel Jones shined and faltered for the New York Giants in 2019 and will get a full look at the talent pool between the two teams in 2020. A win over Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be a huge win for their season or a serious loss for New York. Brady vs. Jones isn’t must-see football, but it should be a fascinating matchup between a young-upcoming quarterback and the GOAT.
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