Former Buccaneers QB Clyde Christensen said he is sad to see Tom Brady officially announce his retirement from the NFL.
“My initial thought is probably a little bit of sadness,” Christensen told OutKick’s Armando Salguero. “It’s like an emptiness. Because, for many of us, the NFL and Tom Brady are kind of synonymous. And the NFL without Tom Brady, I don’t understand what that looks like. He’s been around for so long and, gosh, I’m sad to think he’s not going to play football anymore. I think he still can play. No one questions if he can still play. He can play. But I think he’s doing the right thing and I’m excited for him.”
Christensen isn’t surprised to see Brady walk away from the game and is aware he wants to spend time with his children.
“I thought it was 50-50 and so I’m not surprised because he really does want to do what’s right by the kids,” Christensen said. “He’s committed to doing what’s right by the kids and I just couldn’t see him going far out west or doing something like that.”
Christensen praised Brady for playing through personal issues and providing an unwavering presence throughout the season.
“Never complaining. He stayed positive,” Christensen said. “I think sometimes he was feeling like, ‘Gosh, what else can go wrong?’ It was all new, there were new things for him and I think it was circumstances he had to deal with that he never had to deal with in the middle of a football season. And I think that between football and personal things, all those things and still coming in week in and week out and doing his job, it’s amazing how tough that is … And we never hit full stride like I think we were all hoping to, but no one would question whether he showed up every Sunday, laid it on the line and played some good football.”
Falcons GM Terry Fontenot said they are getting “really valuable information” on the 2023 NFL Draft class at this year’s Senior Bowl.
“It’s a touchpoint with the players and again, the access that we have and time that we get to spend with them here,” Fontenot said, via Ashton Edmunds of the team’s official site. “You get really really valuable information, so it makes a huge difference.”
Fontenot said the offseason is a pivotal time to develop their roster.
“I think every offseason is pivotal,” Fontenot said. “I think every day you come in the building is pivotal. The first offseason we had here was critical and, obviously, we had a different level of resources the first year, second year and now this year. Yet, you have to look at every offseason [like this]. That is critical and you’re going to do the best you can to improve this football team.”
Fontenot said they are in the process of evaluating the roster.
“Really quickly here, we’re going to be getting into free agency and into our draft meetings,” Fontenot said. “So we’re going through it while we do everything else.”
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