Tom Brady is never satisfied, and it's this incredible desire to win that has fueled him for two decades in the NFL despite winning more playoff games and Super Bowl titles than any other quarterback by a wide margin.
So, it's no surprise that Brady was already thinking about winning another title with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers less than 24 hours after he led them to a Super Bowl LV triumph over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen had a FaceTime call with Brady the Monday after the Super Bowl during which the 43-year-old QB expressed his excitement for the 2021 season.
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“He said, ‘Hey, I didn’t see you after the game. I just wanted to tell you thanks and what a great journey and how much I appreciated everything you did,’” Christensen told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
“The second thing he said: ‘I was just sitting here thinking, and I think we can really be better next year. I think we’re going to be a better team.’ He was already excited about the next year. It’s amazing. That’s how his mind works.”
When you think about it, there's actually a pretty good chance the Buccaneers could be even better next season.
Brady is still a top-tier quarterback. He completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 4,633 yards with 40 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season, his first with the Bucs after leaving the New England Patriots in free agency. He led the Bucs to three road playoff wins before winning Super Bowl LV MVP at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay.
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Tampa Bay has surrounded Brady with plenty of weapons on offense, and if they keep star wide receiver Chris Godwin -- the team's most notable offensive free agent -- we should expect another high-scoring year from Tampa Bay.
The Bucs defense also is loaded with talent and includes several young stars who haven't even hit their prime, such as linebacker Devin White.
A full and (hopefully) normal offseason also would help the Bucs develop even stronger chemistry on both sides of the ball. The COVID-19 pandemic made last offseason shorter and more challenging for the entire league, which wasn't ideal for a team like the Bucs that added so many new players. Still, they were able to overcome it and win the Super Bowl.
Brady's focus is always on what lies ahead. He's consistently talked about his favorite ring being "the next one," and it sure sounds like he's locked in on doing whatever it takes to win Lombardi Trophy No. 8 next season.