WHO’S NEXT? IT’S UNFAIR TO ASK, BUT THE G.O.A.T. SURE LOVES BURROW

The intersection of Brady’s retirement and Burrow’s Super Bowl ascent has led to speculation about a natural successor in the QB pantheon — just listen to Brady’s podcast this week

     The rush was as inevitable as it was irresponsible. No sooner had Tom Brady posted the letter that halted his “thrilling ride,’’ even dipping into heart-emojied Spanish in thanking his supermodel wife for her sacrifices, than the cattle call to nominate The Next Brady began in all its farcical fury. Why must we always be in such a damn hurry?

     Twenty-two years cannot be condensed into one day of tributes. But such is life in 21st-century America, where it isn’t enough to appreciate one legend before projecting his successor. This cannot be said enough: There never will be another Tom Brady, another man so driven by slights that he plays football until the edge of 45, another man conscientious enough to protect his body and mind and diet, another man who makes greatness and championship trophies seem routine, another who thrives on competition regardless of an overflowing legacy and stuffed financial portfolio beyond reach.

     People don’t want to work these days. They want to bang on the drum all day, a mentality Brady unintentionally savaged when he wrote, “I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition -- if a 100% competitive commitment isn't there, you won't succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game. There is a physical, mental and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.’’

     So, in a world of shortcuts and plenty of people taking them, why would there be another Brady?

     To speculate is to curse quarterbacks the way basketball phenoms were hexed decades ago as The Next Michael Jordan, a phrase used by thousands of observers (myself included) both professional and amateur. Poor Harold Miner was stuck with the title in the ‘90s, even as he pleaded with the media amid an NBA career that lasted only four years, “I can’t be the next Michael Jordan. I just want to be the next Harold Miner. There’s only one Michael Jordan.” Jerry Stackhouse and Vince Carter had good careers, but neither was close to fruition as The Next Jordan. Only Kobe Bryant justified it, from his immense body of work to his emulation of All Things Mike. LeBron James wore No. 23, but soon enough made it clear he only wanted to Bigger Than Jordan, which isn’t happening.

     The only one who should be allowed to postulate is Brady himself. He never would do so purposely, not wanting to place undue pressure on anyone, just as he delayed his retirement announcement two days while honoring the teams playing in the NFL’s conference championship games. But it’s impossible to ignore the guest who accepted Brady’s invitation to appear on his podcast Monday evening. Having just finished writing his farewell Instagram post — comfortable he was entering the first day of the rest of his life — Brady could have had anybody on his “Let’s Go!’’ chit-chat session.

     He picked Joe Burrow.

     “I think Joe's got some tools that I didn't quite have when I was his age, so super impressed by how he's kind of come into the league and went to Cincinnati, which has been a tough place to play over the years,’’ said Brady, before introducing Burrow. “And, you know, two years into his career, after a really tough injury last year, he showed a lot of mental and physical toughness coming back and having an incredible season.

     “I always love watching quarterbacks, certainly young quarterbacks, cuz I feel like, you know, there's certain ways to play the game, and to play the game at a high level requires a huge commitment. I think Joe, even from when I saw him at LSU, you know, he makes that commitment. So it's really a great thing for me to see as, you know, someone who's played this game a long time. So really happy for Joe and his team.’’

     The testimonial was just beginning. Noting how Burrow was sacked 51 times during the regular season and nine more by Tennessee in the AFC divisional round — and that this abuse led to a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee in a shortened 2020 season — Brady is blown away by Burrow’s resilience, how he keeps getting up after every hit, how he’s the first quarterback to reach a Super Bowl after leading the league in sacks. Remember, Brady often was safe inside impenetrable pockets created by airtight offensive lines in New England and Tampa Bay.

     “I love it because the quarterback, there's very few ways to display toughness for a quarterback,’’ Brady said. “We don't play at the line of scrimmage. We don't have to block. We don't have to tackle. We don't have to go hit anybody. But the way we can show our toughness is to stand tall in the pocket and make throws, and sometimes you get the shit knocked out of you, and you get up, and you just go on to the next play.

     “You don't want to ever show anyone, ‘man, he really got me good on that.’ I think what I love about Joe's game is Joe does just that. He gets knocked down, he gets up, and he's ready for the next play. I think the team gains a lot of confidence in that because the team needs to know that the quarterback is going to be there week in and week out. Being available to a team is critical because they need to count on you. Joe stands in there, makes a play, and if he gets knocked down, he gets up.’’

     Never forget, as Brady takes us down an ill-advised road, that he and Burrow share the humiliation of being snubbed by college coaches. At Michigan, Brady was placed in a senior-year platoon with hotshot Drew Henson before winning the starting job and his final bowl game. At Ohio State, Urban Meyer demoted Burrow while elevating Dwayne Haskins. The insults only fueled middle-finger infernos and led to extraordinary narratives: Brady retiring as the greatest quarterback and football player of all time, and Burrow bidding to become the first player to win a Super Bowl, national college championship and Heisman Trophy.

     Kismet? Destiny? What else would lead Burrow directly to Brady’s podcast hours before the G.O.A.T. officially retired?

     And as Brady raved about his toughness, you’ll never guess who Burrow has studied in the art of sack recovery and fortitude.

     “I think you were playing the Bills, maybe, or the Titans, and you were running to the right, and you slid, and somebody just knocked your head off. Helmet goes flying," said Burrow, who was in middle school.

     “Nate Clements,’’ said Brady, of course having total recall about the 2001 hit, in only his 12th NFL start.

     “You got up so fast," Burrow said. “And I saw that and I was like, I want to be like that. I'm going to do that. I forget how old I was, I was probably in middle school at this point, but I just remember that vividly and trying to model myself after that.’’

     What was happening here, as Brady recognized, was the progression of life at the most important position in team sports. Soon, he sounded like a father figure. "You watch players that are older than you, Joe, and you watch things that they do and you emulate different things because you like the way they do them," Brady said. “That's exactly how I was watching Joe Montana and Steve Young and Brett Favre and Dan Marino and John Elway."

     What else? Both have precise, powerful arms. Both lead comebacks as they yawn. Burrow stands 6 feet 4 and weighs 220 pounds; Brady is 6 feet 4 and played his final season at 225 pounds. Neither fits the current mold of dual-threat magician — the Patrick Mahomes prototype, with Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson (when not accused of crimes), Dak Prescott and Kyler Murray following suit. Brady won his first Super Bowl at 24; Burrow just turned 25. In a divided world, in a time when few want to listen, both are mesmeric leaders and purveyors in cool.

     Granted, there are limits in the parallels. Brady never indulged in swag like Burrow, who still is catching heat for his Sunday comment after being asked if his huge “JB9’’ chain had real jewels: “They’re definitely real. I make too much money to have fake ones. So they’re real.’’ Brady always has shied away from celebrity, missing out on megamillions by prioritizing football over too many commercial endorsements, while Burrow doesn’t mind embracing his new fame.

     “It’s just crazy. The situation that I’m in socially doesn’t really feel real to me because in my head, I’m just the same old guy,’’ he said. “But one of my idols growing up, Kid Cudi, reached out to me yesterday. You’ve got LeBron tweeting at me, or whatever he said it was. I mean, that part is surreal. The football part, not so much. But that stuff — it’s crazy.”

     What LeBron did was compare Burrow to … LeBron, who was drafted No. 1 by home-region Cleveland in 2003, 17 years before Burrow was drafted No. 1 by home-state Cincinnati. Both transformed downtrodden franchises. “You would have said the same about the Cavs before 2003 right? Joe B is the absolute TRUTH!! We all saw and knew it!’’ he wrote.

     For all the starpower of the Hollywood Rams, Burrow is generating the early buzz. It’s a natural reaction in the aftermath of Brady’s departure. The talking heads only will magnify the comparisons.

     “He reminds me of Tom Brady,’’ said Rex Ryan, the ESPN analyst and former NFL coach. “I’ve went against Tom Brady more than any coach. That's who this kid is. This is a hired killer. And when you see him right there, he's got it all. And when the Bengals came out, and I said take him No. 1. Why? He's a local kid, and he's a leader. This dude right here is going to take your whole football team and say, ‘You know what? Let's go.’ Can they beat anybody? Yeah, because of this guy. This guy is amazing.’’

     Another Brady? The challenge is so unfair, so unattainable. But then Tom had to go and have Joe Brrrrr on his podcast …

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     Jay Mariotti, called “the most impacting Chicago sportswriter of the past quarter-century,’’ writes general sports columns for Substack while appearing on some of the 1,678,498 podcasts and shows in production today. He is an accomplished columnist, TV panelist and talk/podcast host. Living in Los Angeles, he gravitated by osmosis to film projects.