Packers will play against Tom Brady in 2022 after all

Well, then. The Green Bay Packers‘ 2022 schedule and path to the Super Bowl just got a whole lot more challenging.

Tom Brady has announced that he will, in fact, return to football just weeks after retiring. And Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers just happen to be on the Packers’ schedule next season.

This is, without doubt, significant news for the Packers.

With Russell Wilson traded to the Denver Broncos and Brady retired, the landscape of the NFC had shifted dramatically. Two of the best quarterbacks in the conference were gone. The Buccaneers, who eliminated the Packers in the NFC title game a year ago, were set for uncertainty with no clear solution at the quarterback position.

Brady’s return all but ensures the Buccaneers will be a force in the NFC once more, making any road to the Super Bowl that much tougher for the Packers, whether at Lambeau Field or on the road.

If there’s good news it’s that, from a football perspective, the opportunity to watch another Aaron Rodgers-Tom Brady battle should be fun. Brady has been on the winning side of this rivalry more often than not in recent years. Maybe that changes in 2022.

It’s also not all that surprising. It was always uncertain how Brady would enjoy being away from football following a season in which he played at an MVP level. He’s clearly still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

It sure has been an interesting offseason in the NFL, and that includes in Green Bay. With Rodgers returning, the Packers will again be serious challengers in the NFC. But they may need to go through Brady’s Buccaneers to finally end their Super Bowl drought.

But, hey, in more positive news for the Packers, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero has reported that the Minnesota Vikings have signed Kirk Cousins to a contract extension…