Over the last two decades, Tom Brady has dominated the sport of football as much as any quarterback has ever done in the history of the NFL. Yet, there is a possibility that Brady might attempt to do one more thing that no one else has successfully done and end the curse of Bobby Layne.
What is this curse spoken of in the annals of NFL lore? One must go back in time to fully understand and appreciate its meaning.
Layne and the Lions
In the 1950s, the NFL experienced rapidly growing popularity thanks to television. It’s often called the TV Boom Era to those familiar with NFL history. One of the very best quarterbacks in the league was a hardcore partying son-of-a-gun named Bobby Layne who played quarterback like a gunslinger. He got the most out of his teammates by pushing them harder on gameday than even the coaches would. Of course, this was after Layne partied hard on Saturday nights and somehow woke up in time to throw touchdowns on Sunday afternoons like it was effortless.
After playing in the rival AAFC football league, Layne joined the NFL in 1950 and immediately made his mark by leading the league in passing yards. He did it again in 1951, and then in 1952, he helped the Lions dethrone the Los Angeles Rams as the conference champions before defeating the Cleveland Browns on the muddy field of Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. The Lions were crowned NFL champions for just the second time in their history, having last won the title in 1935. Layne then soared in popularity as one of the first NFL stars of the TV era.
Layne’s rise to greatness
The Lions fought their way back to the NFL championship game the following year, and this time played hosts against the Browns. Late in the fourth quarter and trailing 16-10, Layne threw a perfect TD pass to Jim Doran to effectively win the NFL title. The Detroit Lions were back-to-back NFL champions. He and his Lions continued competing for the title in the following years, even returning to the title game in 1954 only to fall short of a three-peat courtesy of title rival Cleveland. In 1957, the story offered a plot twist.
Late that season, Layne broke his leg while taking a hit against the Cleveland Browns. It meant that the Lions other quarterback, Tobin Rote, would be the one they had to rely on the rest of the way. Rote was an exceptional QB that Detroit signed from the Packers during the offseason with intent to share time with Layne. Now it was entirely his show, and when the Lions trailed the 49ers in San Francisco in the conference title game, it seemed the season would end for Detroit. Yet, down 27-7 in the second half, the Lions roared back to complete what was then the greatest postseason comeback the NFL had seen.
The victory meant that they would play the Browns in the NFL title game for the fourth time in six years. Despite being the underdogs, the Lions destroyed the Browns, and Tobin Rote was the new hero in Detroit as he tossed four touchdowns in the game en route to a 59-14 blowout.
Enter the Pittsburgh Steelers. Buddy Parker, Steelers head coach, was actually the coach of the Lions when Layne won back-to-back titles. Parker needed a QB in Pittsburgh to have any chance of competing for a title. When Lions coach George Wilson asked him if he were interested in trading for Layne, Parker nearly fell to the floor.
The birth of the curse
Indeed, early in the 1958 season, the unthinkable happened: The Detroit Lions traded Bobby Layne. The greatest Lion ever was just dealt to Pittsburgh, a franchise that, at the time, had won nothing. That’s when legend takes over. According to some, but disputed by others, Layne was so furious at the Lions that he shouted out, “This team won’t win a title for another 50 years!”
As the years passed, the Lions became the laughingstock of the NFL. Thus, people started to believe that Layne’s alleged rant cursed the Lions. In the 1990s, the Lions were gifted with one of the greatest running backs of all-time, Barry Sanders. Despite his efforts, the team never won the NFL title. In 2007, Lions fans were overjoyed because it meant the curse was lifted, at least that’s what they thought considering it was 50 years later. Layne was right. The Lions went 50 years without winning a title. In fact, they have yet to play in a Super Bowl.
After the Lions’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks, thus eliminating them from this year’s playoffs, “The Curse of Bobby Layne” that began 66 year ago is still in effect.
Tom Brady and the end of the curse?
Surely, if anyone can change that, it’s Tom Brady, right? He won an unprecedented seven Super Bowls in his career, including six for the New England Patriots for whom he played 20 years. He left to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 and won the Super Bowl in his first year with them.
With Brady likely not returning to Tampa for the 2023 NFL season, other teams have interest in the star QB. Some say he will stay in Florida, playing for the Miami Dolphins. Yet, rumors have floated around that the Detroit Lions are a possibility. Despite it truly just being speculation, the idea has gained significant reactions from NFL fans.
Brady played collegiate football for the Michigan Wolverines, so it would be a return to the state, making his career come full circle. He also could be further motivated to get another ring. After all, if he wins a Super Bowl with the Detroit Lions, he could end his career by also ending the curse and turning it into a legendary triumph for himself and his teammates.
It sounds like a great story but the likelihood of Brady being the man that ends the curse is extremely minimal. The Lions have Jared Goff as their quarterback, they seem intent on keep him. They had a winning record in 2022 despite missing the playoffs. Can they be persuaded to sign Brady? It seems like a stretch to bring in a superstar who is clearly at the end of his career. However, it would certainly make the Lions the talk of the league.
Someone will one day break the curse. Maybe it will actually be Tom Brady; maybe it won’t. Nonetheless, the only question is how long will this curse last for the lowly Lions who were once the most-celebrated team in the NFL finally reach professional football’s promised land?
UPDATE: The speculation of who Tom Brady will sign with is over as the quarterback announced his retirement today. And so it is that one of the few things that Brady certainly will not accomplish is ending the Curse of Bobby Layne.