Tom Brady reaches unique milestone without playing Thursday

"Wow, that's crazy. That's crazy. That's crazy – there's stats and data everywhere," Brady said Thursday about having spent literally half his life in the NFL, per the Buccaneers' website. "It's a data-driven world, but that's crazy. That's hard for me to imagine. 

"I've loved it. I've certainly loved my opportunity to play. It's been a lot of memories and relationships, and I've certainly had my fair share of those."

Brady, 45, can hit free agency when the new NFL year opens in March 2023 and hasn't yet publicly revealed his plans for next season. As recently as Thursday morning, he was mentioned as a possible replacement for benched (and exiled) Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.

"Honestly, it's the furthest thing from my mind," Brady said when asked what will determine his decision for next year. "I'm just going to go out there and try to play a great game this week. Our biggest games are ahead of us. We've got to do a good job and I've got to play quarterback, I've got to prepare well and that's what I'm thinking about."

The 7-8 Buccaneers have routinely failed to impress throughout the campaign but can nevertheless claim the NFC South title with a victory over the 6-9 Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium this Sunday.