TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers’ quarterback Tom Brady became the first quarterback in NFL history to reach 600 career touchdown passes in Sunday’s 38-3 rout of the Chicago Bears.
It happened with 10 seconds left in the first quarter on a 9-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Mike Evans. The Buccaneers had the ball after outside linebacker Shaq Barrett forced a fumble from Bears’ rookie quarterback Justin Fields that was recovered by defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Brady was greeted with a giant hug from coach Bruce Arians after the play, while Evans threw the ball to a fan in the stands, not realizing it was a record until Arians told him.
“I said, ‘You’re gonna have to go give that guy two jerseys to get that ball back,'” Arians joked. “I was like, either get two of Tom’s [or two of yours] but you need to get that ball back for him. And he said, ‘Does he really want that ball?’ And I said, ‘I’m betting he wants that ball.'”
A Bucs official was able to retrieve the ball, giving the fan a different one.
“That was really cool. I got it in the bag over there,” Brady said. “Mike gave it away. He goes, ‘Man, I’m sorry, man. I’ll get it.’ I said, ‘It’s alright. I’m sure they’ll find a way to get it back.’ But I don’t actually keep too many things so … in that circumstance, I just felt like that might be a good one to keep.
“He’s gonna get something nice in return. So we’ll get him a helmet or a couple jerseys or some other stuff. That was really cool of him to do that.”
Brady threw two more touchdowns in Sunday’s game, both also to Evans for 2 yards and 8 yards, respectively, in the second quarter. He was replaced by Blaine Gabbert midway through the fourth quarter and finished his day 20-of-36 for 211 yards and four touchdown passes.
Not bad for 44 years of age and just one year after he infamously forgot what down it was against the Bears.
“Every day he comes to practice, he looks like he’s 12,” Arians said. “The numbers — they are staggering, they will probably never be broken….
Source : espn
