TAMPA, Fla. — The Buccaneers have all 22 starters back, and all 89 eligible players showed up for this week's mandatory minicamp. But no one on the team is taking another run to the Super Bowl for granted.
"I think the assumption comes from the belief that it will be exactly like it was last year," Brady said after Wednesday's practice. "How do you improve? How do you get better from week to week, day to day? Improve your routine. Improve your communication with your teammates, your coaches."
Brady said it's crucial that everyone realizes this season will be an entirely different season for Tampa Bay, and they can't rely on past success to carry them in 2021.
"Not allow your mind to fall into this position that you make this assumption that just because you did something in February that you’ll do it again next February," he said.
Brady had a slight limp when he jogged onto the practice field Wednesday morning, but he likes the progress he's made since having minor surgery on his left knee in late February.
"That was about 15 weeks ago today. From this point to the beginning of the season- to the beginning of training camp- I feel like I can really work hard at football improvement as opposed to getting back to a rehab place where you’re more baseline," Brady said.
The 43-year-old future Hall of Famer has had one of the most storied careers in football history, but there's one thing he hasn't done with the Bucs — play in front of a sellout crowd. With more stadium moving toward full capacity in the coming months, Brady's excited to pack the house at Raymond James Stadium.
"When the fans are there, they add their energy, their excitement. We feel that," he said. "I think that’s one of the best parts about playing professional sports. Some guys really rise up to that moment, and I think other guys don’t. And I think it’s pretty easy to see who does."
