Brady is expected to start Sunday's Week 17 tilt against the Falcons, despite the Buccaneers already having clinched a postseason spot, as there is still playoff positioning at stake for Tampa Bay, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The future Hall of Famer could call his record-setting Week 16 effort against the Lions a fitting conclusion to a successful first Buccaneers regular season, considering Tampa Bay's 47-7 victory also allowed the team to punch its playoff ticket. However, a Week 17 loss would bump the Bucs down to the No. 6 seed in the NFC, a slotting that would entail a trip to the undesirable locale of either Green Bay, New Orleans or Seattle for a wild-card round contest. Conversely, a win gives Brady and teammates the No. 5 seed and triggers a visit to the home of the NFC East winner -- Dallas, Washington or New York -- a much more palatable and winnable proposition. Auman noted the fact Brady starts doesn't lock in a full-game appearance for the 43-year-old signal-caller, who could make an early exit akin to Week 16 if the game is firmly in hand at some point during its latter stages.