Tampa Bay Buccaneers

We all know Father Time is undefeated, but Joe Montana clearly doesn't believe that applies to Tom Brady … 'cause he thinks the G.O.A.T. can play football until he's 60!

Montana -- who was Brady's childhood idol -- recently spoke with USA Today, where he said he wouldn't be shocked if the seven-time Super Bowl champ played well beyond even 50 years old.

The reason?? Joe Cool says it's simple -- 44-year-old Tom rarely ever gets touched by defenses.

"He's hardly ever getting hit," Montana said. "So, he could play until maybe 60, I don't know."

"The way it is with the rules, he just doesn't take those big hits anymore," Montana added. "Yeah, he gets hit on occasion, but it's never one of those, '300 pounds compressing you into the ground.' They stopped that from being legal. They just don't do that anymore."

Brady has said recently he could probably play 'til the age of 50, but he's always maintained the goal -- for now -- is to just get to 45.

Rob Gronkowski ain't down in the dumps at all after busting up his ribs ... in fact, his "spirits are high" and he WILL be back this season better than ever -- so says his best pal Mojo Muhtadi.

The former WWE star and co-host of the "TMZ Sports" TV show on FS1 (airs nightly) said Monday he's been in talks with Gronk constantly since the Bucs TE was injured against the Rams on Sept. 26 -- and he raved over how the Bucs star is handling everything.

"His spirits are high," Rawley said. "If anything, he's probably a little bit more bored this week not being able to turn up and go full tilt."

"But, man, I'll tell you what, I don't care if he would have punctured both lungs, broke every rib in his body -- you can only keep that man down for only so long."

Rawley -- just like Tampa Bay themselves -- isn't sure when the 32-year-old will make his return to the field ... but he did make it clear, the injury is no threat whatsoever to ending Rob's career.

"It's going to take a lot more than that to stop Robbie G!" Mojo said.

That's got to be great news for Tom Brady ... 'cause in the first game without Gronk on Sunday against the Pats -- the star QB threw for just 269 yards and no TDs on 43 pass attempts.

"I'd say this is probably the sixth, or the ninth-most severe injury I've seen from Rob," Rawley said with a smile. "So, yeah, we're good. Don't worry about it."

Tom Brady and Robert Kraft clearly have no bad blood ... 'cause the Bucs quarterback and Patriots owner just shared a moment in the bowels of Gillette Stadium, hugging it out before the team's battle on Sunday Night Football.

TB12 will play his old team -- in New England -- for the first time since bolting for Tampa Bay before the start of last season.

Many football fans wondered what the interaction between Brady and Kraft and Bill Belichick would be like... would there be hard feelings or a warm reaction?

A few hours before kickoff, Tom and Robert met up in a back hallway, spoke briefly, and embraced each other before going their separate ways.

Of course, the Bucs won the Super Bowl last season -- Brady's 7th -- while his old squad struggled without him, going 7-9 with Cam Newton at the helm.

During the week leading up to tonight's game, Belichick -- who reportedly had tension with Brady during his last years in NE -- was extremely complimentary of the G.O.A.T.

Despite the reported beef, Brady seems happy to be back, posting about returning to Foxborough on social media earlier Sunday, saying ... "Good to be back"

Kraft previously said the Pats plan to honor Brady before what's become the most anticipated game of the 2021 NFL season.

Brady -- a 6th round draft pick of NE in 2000 -- played 20 seasons with the Patriots ... winning 3 NFL MVPs and 6 Super Bowls with Belichick and Kraft.

There will be nothing but cheers for Tom Brady in his return to New England, so says Deion Branch, who tells TMZ Sports he expects NO boos from the Patriots faithful on Sunday.

Brady is making his first trip to Gillette Stadium as a Pats opponent after dominating for the home team for years ... and many are wondering, what will the reception be like when he hits the field in Buccaneers jerseys this weekend?

Branch, a Pats legend, says it'll be nothing but love -- at least initially -- explaining to us, "I think these guys are going to be received well."

"They've earned that," Branch added.

Now, as the game goes on, Branch says he can see things going a little bit differently.

"There's no way that the Boston fans will just sit back and be ok with Gronk catching a 40-yard, 50-yard pass," Branch said. "No, there will be some boos."

"But, in the beginning, I do believe deep down inside these guys will be received well."

Boos or not, Branch is expecting the Patriots to pull off the upset -- despite being a heavy underdog in the game.

As for all the hooplah and festivities surrounding the evening, Branch tells us he's envisioning plenty of tears flowing -- but believes all of the players will be ready to go by kickoff.

Tom Brady's first game at Gillette Stadium in an away uniform is BY FAR the most coveted ticket of the NFL season ... with sales skyrocketing leading up to Sunday's big matchup.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the average ticket price for the Buccaneers vs. Patriots showdown is a whopping $1,222 on StubHub ... with the cheapest seats coming in at $275.

We're told Brady's homecoming is crushing every other game of the NFL season in ticket sales ... outselling the second most popular game by 20%!!

As for who's going to the game -- the majority of fans are from Massachusetts (duh) ... with 8% of spectators coming from California and another 7% coming from Brady's new state of Florida.

The game has been hyped up since the schedule was released back in May ... and many have called it one of the biggest regular season ones in NFL history.

Brady has downplayed the whole thing ... claiming he's not expecting a "homecoming" as it's just another Sunday night game to him.

It may not go as TB12 plans -- after all, the guy is responsible for those 6 Super Bowl banners in the stadium.

Tom Brady has helped bring yet another superstar to Tampa Bay ... Richard Sherman just announced he's signed with the Buccaneers after the G.O.A.T. recruited him to the squad.

The 3-time All-Pro cornerback revealed the news on his podcast early Wednesday morning ... saying he had interest from the 49ers, Panthers and Seahawks, but ultimately signed with Tampa Bay after an initial recruiting pitch from Brady.

"He reached out and said they may express interest and obviously he wanted to play with me," Sherman said of the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

"Then their front office reached out and the conversation started a few weeks ago when they lost their starter, Sean Murphy-Bunting -- and then it kind of steamrolled."

Details of the deal have yet to be announced ... but it's a fairly surprising move from the Bucs -- considering Sherman is still facing criminal charges as well as potential discipline from the NFL stemming from his wild July arrest.

As we previously reported, law enforcement has accused Sherman of drinking and driving, crashing his car and then completely melting down at his in-laws' home in Washington.

The 33-year-old NFL player is facing five charges over the incident -- and while he's pled not guilty to all of the counts, he's since apologized for his actions several times.

But, it seems clear the Bucs are comfortable with his legal situation regardless ... 'cause Sherman said on his podcast he's ready to get going in Florida ASAP.

"It's an opportunity I couldn't pass up," Sherman said. "It's a proven team. I just need to go in there and show that these legs still got some juice."

Tom Brady is treating his big return to Foxboro like a regular football game ... claiming he's not expecting any fanfare against the Patriots this Sunday.

Right, like that's gonna happen.

Week 4 will mark TB12's first trip back to Gillette Stadium since leaving the Pats in 2020 ... and in his one year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, all he's done is win the Super Bowl over the Kansas City Chiefs. No biggie.

But, with Sunday's reunion approaching, Brady says he's not going to waste any time thinking about his first 20 years with the Pats.

"I'm not going to necessarily reminisce," Brady told ESPN this week. "I don't think this is the moment for that. I'll have plenty of opportunities to reminisce about my football career."

"None of which I really care to do right now because I'm so much in the moment. I'm not going to be thinking about 20 years of history."

"I'm going to be thinking about one night of football, a Sunday night game coming off a really tough loss."

Brady's former partner in crime -- Bill Belichick -- hasn't fared as well without the G.O.A.T. under center. BB finished his 2020 coaching campaign with a 7-9 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Both teams come into this game having suffered defeat in Week 3 ... so the stakes will be high when the teams kickoff on Sunday Night Football.

As for what Tom expects???

"I mean, I think they're there to root for their team, and their team is the Patriots," Brady said. "I think they're gonna cheer for their team as I would expect them to, and I think if they know anything about me, they're gonna know that I'm going out there to try to win the football game, so I think they'll respect that about me."

As it turns out, Brady is just a few yards from passing Drew Brees on the all-time passing yards list on Sunday ... which is quite the full-circle moment for TB12.

Julian Edelman says the NFL's most anticipated game -- pitting his old QB, Tom Brady and the Bucs against his old team, the Patriots -- is gonna be be super weird for him ... almost like a child at a party with his "divorced parents."

The teams are playing October 3 ... and it'll be the first time that TB12 returns to Gillette Stadium since leaving the Pats in 2020.

And, Edelman -- who played with Brady and Rob Gronkowski in New England for 11 seasons before retiring -- is hyped about the game.

"It's definitely gonna be weird," Edelman told ABC6.

"It's like going to a family barbecue or like a basketball event and you're the step kid, or you're like the kid who has divorced parents and your mom and dad are there and you don't know how to react."

"Are they going to fight? Are they not going to fight? It's going to be interesting. But, I am excited. Who's not excited for it? It's going to be an exciting game."

So, is Edelman rollin' with his former team or former QB? He says Pats all day!

"I want the Patriots to win," Edelman says, "but I also want them to do well -- Gronk and Tom, so we'll see."

"I hope Tom does great. I hope everyone stays healthy. I hope Gronk does great but I hope like it's just a high scoring battle and maybe lil Mac [Jones] comes out, who knows? We'll see."

But, Edelman then takes it back ... saying he "can't be taking sides right now" since he's now an "Inside the NFL" analyst.

"I'm gonna have to take the fifth on that one, actually."

"You can still be rich ... and still have roaches."

Jason Pierre-Paul just revealed his Florida mansion is currently being overrun by dead bugs -- and it's gross as hell!

The Tampa Bay Bucs star showed off the lifeless cockroaches while walking around his pad Thursday ... zooming in on the bugs and providing some pretty hilarious commentary at the same time.

"I don't know where they coming from," JPP said, "'cause there ain't nothing to eat!"

The former NY Giants star hilariously gave some of the dead, creepy-crawlers in the house names ... saying, "He looked like he tried to get out. That's Jodeci."

"Look at him. That's Cici Allah. We'll call this one right here John Doe. Look like he tried to escape quick!"

As for JPP's plan to get them to stop overrunning his place ... the 32-year-old said he already has pest control, and has no idea why the problem is still going down.

Pierre-Paul might not play in the Bucs' game this weekend while nursing a shoulder injury ... so here's to hoping the added free time will help him get it all figured out soon.

When will Tom Brady retire?! No time soon ... 'cause the 44-year-old Bucs quarterback says he can play until he's 50 years old.

It's one of the NFL's most asked questions ... and in an episode of "Tommy & Gronky," the 7x Super Bowl champ addressed his future, specifically, if he can QB until 50.

"Seems to be a really hot question lately. Can Tom Brady play until 50? Like 50 years old?" Brady told Rob Gronkowski.

"I don't find it so difficult. And plus, Florida is sorta a retire-y state, so I feel like I can play and then just guide into retirement. I think I can. It's a yes."

Tom's latest answer represents a slight change in position ... in fact, it was only June when TB12 refused to commit to playing until his Golden birthday.

At the time, the G.O.A.T. said ... "50? That’s a long time. Even for me, that’s a long time."

He continued ... "I’ve always said 45 was the age that I wanted to reach and that was my goal. This year I’ll be 44, so next year I’ll be 45. I got a two-year contract."

But, just a few months later, and after his awesome Week 1 performance against the Cowboys (379 yards, 4 TD's), Brady has obviously changed his tune.

FYI, Tom just celebrated his 44th birthday on August 3 ... meaning there's 6 more seasons (including this year) until he'll turn 50.

If he balled as a 50-year-old ... that'd mean 7 more seasons of TB12.

For some context, the oldest quarterback ever was George Blanda, who retired as a 48-year-old in 1976. Future Hall of Famer Drew Brees retired this off-season ... at the age of 42.

Tom Brady's retirement will mark the end of TWO Hall of Fame careers ... so says Chris Gronkowski, who tells TMZ Sports his bro, Rob Gronkowski, will officially quit when the QB does.

"Whatever Tom has left," Chris says, "I think that's what Rob has left as well."

As for why ... Chris says it's simple -- he just can't fathom Rob sticking around and catching passes from a different style of signal-caller.

"I just can't see him playing with another quarterback," Chris tells us. "It's tough to get that chemistry. It's tough to win once you lose that QB."

Tom has said his goal is to play until he's 45 years old and then reevaluate things ... which means he's looking to strap up the pads through at least the 2022 season.

And, at 32 years old, that wouldn't seem too farfetched for Gronk ... but, remember, the tight end has dealt with plenty of injuries in his career -- including "probably" 20 concussions.

But, Rob looked healthy as ever in the Bucs' season-opening win over the Cowboys on Thursday ... and Chris tells us he could see Rob's career continue if Tom decides he wants to play another FIVE years.

"I think Rob will play it out until Tom plays it out is what I'm thinking," Chris says.

Tom Brady got COVID ... and he thinks he contracted it celebrating his Super Bowl victory.

Brady tested positive back in February ... right after Tampa Bay snagged the Lombardi Trophy ... so he told the Tampa Bay Times. He believes he caught the virus at the Super Bowl Boat  Parade ... you'll recall, when Brady was super drunk and tossed the Trophy off his boat to his comrades in arms!

The Trophy wasn't the only thing that was caught ... 'cause Brady believes that's exactly where he caught COVID. He did not say if he had symptoms.

Brady thinks this season will be worse than last when it comes to the coronavirus ... "I actually think it's going to play more of a factor this year than last year, just because of the way what we're doing now and what the stadium is going to look like and what the travel is going to look like and the people in the building and the fans."

File under: "Perks of having a 7-time Super Bowl champ for a dad."

Tom Brady's son, Jack, got a front-row seat to watch his pops at work -- getting ball boy responsibilities at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp this week!!

The pics are adorable ... with the 13-year-old chatting it up with coaches and TB12 while the reigning champs prep for the upcoming season.

Brady couldn't be more proud of his son ... with the proud father showing off on Instagram about his kid's new gig.

"Buccaneers got a new ball boy this week," TB12 said. "He takes his summer job and every rep very seriously ... just like his dad!!"

No word on if this is a full-time summer job for Jack now, or if it was a one-time thing ... but either way, it's very cool to see.

Of course, TB12 and Jack have spent a lot of time bonding over football together over the years ... remember, the QB juked the hell outta his son during a backyard workout back in 2018 -- which is just as hilarious 3 years later.

NFL cornerback Cameron Kinley -- who fought to delay his U.S. military service to play in the league -- was cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team announced.

The former Navy standout signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent shortly after graduating the Naval Academy ... but because of his commitment to serve as an officer, the Navy refused to delay his service.

The 22-year-old fought hard to get the decision reversed ... even asking President Joe Biden for help when we spoke to him in June ... saying, "I'm just asking that you consider helping me with this situation I am currently in."

The Secretary of Defense finally gave Kinley the delay on July 6 which was right in time for Bucs' training camp -- and he got to see the field in the preseason opener this past weekend, banking in 6 tackles.

But, on Sunday, the Bucs announced they waived three players -- including Kinley.

"I'm definitely grateful I had an opportunity to be a part of the organization," Kinley told ESPN after the cut.

"I was able to learn a lot on and off the field from the players, coaches and support staff. I wish the Buccaneers the best this season and I look forward to what God has next for me."

Kinley is subject to waivers and if he's unclaimed, he can sign with another team as a free agent.

Tom Brady was so ticked off over some poor plays at Bucs practice on Sunday ... he threw a major temper tantrum, cussing, slamming his helmet and even punting a football.

Reporters on the scene in Tampa say it all went down during 11-on-11 drills ... with the G.O.A.T. going off after he took a would-be sack.

Tom grabbed the ball and booted it in frustration ... sending the pigskin over 40 yards.

On the next series, Tom was sacked again and threw a few incompletions ... leading to an even bigger meltdown.

The 43-year-old QB -- who turns 44 on Tuesday -- slammed his helmet into the ground ... and according to the Tampa Bay Times, he dropped an F-bomb on his teammates.

"Gotta make a f***ing play when you’re tired fellas," Brady said, according to Rick Stroud.

Don't worry ... this apparently ain't sort of beginning of a decline for Tom -- by all accounts, he's had an awesome start to training camp, and even his head coach, Bruce Arians, was cool with TB12's attitude during practice.

"Guys have got to make plays," Arians told reporters. "You’re in a critical situation, you can’t fall down. He gives you a chance to win the game. You’ve got to go down and win the game. I don’t care how tired you are."

New England definitely ain't gonna like these apples ...

Matt Damon -- one of the biggest die-hard Boston-area sports fans EVER -- just admitted he'd root against the Patriots in a Super Bowl!!

The Academy Award-winning actor made the shocking revelation on The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday ... saying if it came down to Tom Brady's Buccaneers vs. the Pats in this year's Big Game, he's team TB12 all day!!

"Listen," Damon said. "I love that guy."

Damon -- who is from Cambridge, Mass. -- has been a Pats fan since forever ... but it's clear his relationship with Tom outweighs all of that.

"Go Bucs," Damon said on the show.

It's gotta hurt the Patriots ... but, hey, they do get to square off against Tom in the regular season in Foxborough in October.