Former New York Giants quarterback turned broadcaster Phil Simms pointed blame at Tom Brady for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' struggles this season.
The two-time Super Bowl winner said he believes Brady created multiple "distractions" this year, but he highlighted Brady's decision to attend New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's wedding.
"The distractions caused by him: Going away for 10 days in training camp, what went on with the wedding is a distraction to the football team. It hurts," Simms said on an episode of "Inside the NFL".
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Brady attended Kraft's wedding in Manhattan earlier this month. As a result, he missed the team’s walkthrough the following day and raised questions about whether his time away played a role in the Bucs' 20-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
During a segment of "Inside the NFL," the hosts began discussing various quarterbacks across the league, including Brady.
"If you could go back in time, Tom Brady would stay retired down in Tampa, no doubt about it," Simms said. "He didn’t know he was going to lose his center and two guards, that’s one thing."
After starting off the season on a two-game winning streak, the Buccaneers have fallen to 3-4. The offense has largely struggled this year and failed to score a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7.
The Panthers recently fired Matt Rhule as head coach, traded star running back Christian McCaffrey and had only one win heading into the matchup with Tampa Bay.
Off the field, Brady's apparent marital issues continue to be a topic of conversation.
But Simms said the reported rift between Brady and former head coach Bruce Arians also played a part in the team's struggles.
"And, most of all, I think they miss the bad guy. And who is the bad guy? That was Bruce Arians. I think they miss him," Simms said.
After Brady ended his short-lived retirement over the summer, the Buccaneers announced Arians would step down from his role as head coach.
Todd Bowles took over head coaching duties, and Arians moved to the front office.
