Morgan Freeman features alongside Tom Brady in inspiring new commercial: “You don’t need to be the “next” anybody, you just need to be the best version of YOU”

The NFL is always looking to label an up-and-coming quarterback as the next Tom Brady, yet the legend himself has issued a piece of advice to young athletes.

As part of an Under Armour commercial campaign with famous actor Morgan Freeman, Brady encourages youngsters not to try and be the next anybody. He says not to aspire to be a global star, but instead focus on being the very best version of themselves.

Brady is the central figure in the commercial, with Freeman narrating an open letter he has written to the athletes of tomorrow. This comes at a time when the veteran has been widely considering retirement, despite returning for a further season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Brady’s letter stated:

“This letter is for you. From what I hear, you're supposed to be the next Tom Brady. What I'm about to say is important: Never let them call you 'the next Tom Brady’."

"When they compare you to the GOATs, tune it out."

"When they say you're a sixth-round draft pick, store it away.”

The message from him is clear: don’t set unrealistic targets for yourself in the hope of replicating the successes of those that have come before. Young athletes need to focus on maximizing their own careers, rather than fixating on fulfilling the media hype surrounding them. This is certainly on-trend with several NFL stars currently being compared to Brady.

Personal issues plague Tom Brady ahead of 2022 NFL season

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Camp

Despite the initial success of the Under Armour campaign, the 45-year-old hasn’t enjoyed the most productive preseason of his NFL career. He was already up against the clock following a U-turn on his original retirement decision. The former New England Patriots star has recently been plagued by personal issues.

These problems were so significant that there was even speculation that he might retire again. This which would have left the Tampa franchise in an awful position on the eve of a new campaign.

Despite it not being exactly clear what kept the veteran away from the Buccaneers’ training camp, speculation has mounted. The current storyline is that there are marital issues involving Gisele Bündchen.

Having now returned to work with Todd Bowles and the rest of the roster, he is understood to have resolved the issues he had with Gisele during the offseason. Media speculation surrounding the nature of the marital disagreement has focused on returning to the NFL after his initial retirement.

Rather like the central message of the Under Armour commercial, Tom Brady is doing what he feels is necessary to be the best version of himself. If he didn’t feel that retirement was right for him, he wouldn’t be happy in the long-run. That could have an even more profoundly negative impact on his marriage.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Under Armour and H/T Sportskeeda.