Tom Brady's 3 biggest mistakes so far in 2022 NFL season

Tom Brady made the shock decision to return to the NFL for the 2022 season after initially deciding to retire. While there has been plenty of success, was it worth Brady coming back?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently sit at 3-2 after five weeks, having beaten the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. However, they've also been defeated by the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs, with Brady not playing to his ability so far. Here are three of Tom Brady's biggest mistakes so far in the 2022 NFL season:

#1 - Not getting Rob Gronkowski back

One of Tom Brady's biggest mistakes was not being able to tempt his old friend Rob Gronkowski to return for the season. Gronkowski was arguably the biggest weapon for Brady throughout his illustrious NFL career. Brady threw 90 touchdowns to Gronkowski across their time together with the New England Patriots and Buccaneers. This ranks second all-time in the NFL during the regular season, and Brady is clearly missing Gronkowski. The tight end with the most yards through five weeks for the Buccaneers is Cameron Brate, at just 100.

#2 - Taking extra time off

Tom Brady has infamously been taking extra time off during the week this season. While at 45 years old you could excuse him for this, there's an argument to be made that it's impacting his play.

At the time of writing, Brady's passer rating is 96.5. Though that's solid for most quarterbacks, it's the worst rate Brady has posted since joining the Buccaneers. He's also averaging fewer yards per attempt than normal, which could be down to a lack of familiarity with Todd Bowles' new system.

#3 - Returning in the first place

Obviously on the face of it, Tom Brady coming back was music to the ears of Tampa Bay fans. However, with head coach Bruce Arians leaving and the backroom staff being reshuffled, it might have been the correct time for Brady to retire.

We've all seen the stories of Brady's marriage being rumored to be on the rocks due to his footballing commitments. So perhaps him stepping away could have been the correct answer for all parties. Brady will never struggle financially, but his love for the game drew him back. This love could have ended up having long-term detrimental effects on his family life, so is it worth it?

Brady seemingly wants to copy Peyton Manning's retirement route. Manning retired after winning the Super Bowl in February 2015 with the Denver Broncos. The issue is that the Buccaneers haven't looked like contenders thus far. But with a game against the struggling Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6, that could all be about to change.