NFL Notebook: Brady closes chapter on NFL career

The Super Bowl matchup is the biggest story in the NFL today, but the most popular sport in the country still has plenty of other headlines from around the league, as teams finish their seasons and look forward to the 2022 season.

Here are some of the top stories from around the league in this NFL Notebook.

Tom Brady retires 

The greatest of all time has announced his retirement from football. Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was originally reported to have retired on Sunday, before news came that he had not officially made a decision.

On Tuesday, Brady indeed made it official with an Instagram post thanking a number of people and saying he no longer wanted to make the competitive commitment needed to excel. As a 22-year veteran and the most accomplished player in league history, he certainly has a good idea on what kind of commitment that entails.

Brady spent 20 years with the New England Patriots and two with the Bucs, and will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. His accomplishments are too long to list in full, and his ability to excel, even as he aged, is legendary.

Coaching carousel continues to spin

As seasons end, so too do coaching tenures. There have been several head coaching changes this offseason across the league, with eight coaches fired, dating back to Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden.

Mike Zimmer and Matt Nagy are both removed from their positions in the NFC North, while Joe Judge is out after another disappointing season in New York. Brian Flores was one of the more highly regarded options in the market after being let go in Miami,  and Vic Fangio is probably headed for another coordinator position after losing his job in Denver.

While these departures all create ripples in the continuity of their respective former teams, it also brings new opportunity, with new entrants arriving on the scene.

Perhaps the most interesting hire thus far is the Broncos’ decision to bring in former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

Hackett is said to have a strong relationship with presumed 2021 MVP Aaron Rodgers, and there is legitimate reason to think Rodgers may attempt a Peyton Manning-esque move west for his final hoorah.

The Giants’ decision to hire former Bills coordinator Brian Daboll looks like a promising one, while the Vikings are in line to bring on Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Broncos are for sale 

If you can rustle up around $4 billion in loose change from the couch cushions, you could potentially become the proud new owner of an NFL football team.

The Broncos have officially announced they are for sale, and the price tag is likely to become the richest one to date in North American sports history.

The last sale of an NFL franchise occurred in 2018, when the Carolina Panthers sold for $2.275 billion. The league has only flourished, and prices have only risen since then, so the amount the organization goes for is sure to top out at a price that most people can’t fathom.

2022 NFL Draft prep time 

While most of the league and its players take a well-deserved break from football following the end of their respective seasons, scouts and general managers around the league will now dive in wholeheartedly into the work of scouting for 2022’s influx of talent.

The top of the draft board has some elite defenders ready to enter the league, but the quarterback position is relatively weak on paper. Carson Strong of Nevada, Matt Corral of Mississippi, and Kenny Pickett of Pittsburgh are some of the top prospects, but none of them look like surefire top picks.

How the offensive draft boards develop over the next few months leading up to draft night will be very interesting to watch. If you’re a fan of a team not named the Bengals or Rams, it’s never too early to start dreaming about which difference-maker is coming your way next.