It certainly seems like Tom Brady plans to stay retired — or at least based on the conversations he’s had with Bruce Arians.
The Buccaneers head coach told reporters Tuesday that Brady did not leave the door open for a return.
“He slammed it shut when I talked to him,” Arians said.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback announced his retirement on social media last month. Arians did add that the Buccaneers would love to welcome Brady back if he does change his mind.
He also added that he wouldn’t allow Brady to play for another team if the QB decided he wanted to play somewhere else in 2022. When asked what it might take for the Buccaneers to trade Arians told reporters: “Five No. 1s? Maybe.”
Brady, the No. 199 pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, is a five-time Super Bowl MVP, three-time NFL MVP and 15-time Pro Bowler, an NFL record. In 22 seasons, he completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 84,520 yards, 624 touchdowns and 203 interceptions, for a passer rating of 97.6. He won six Super Bowls in 20 seasons with the New England Patriots before winning a seventh Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 season.
The Buccaneers will now look for a quarterback to replace Brady, who, in his final season, completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 5,316 yards, 43 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, for a passer rating of 102.1. The Bucs went 13-4, breaking a franchise record for regular-season wins.
Arians said Tuesday that he doesn’t expect to see many high profile veteran quarterbacks traded this offseason. He added that if the Buccaneers look in the free agent market for a quarterback, it would “probably” be to bring Blaine Gabbert back for another season.
The Buccaneers could also lose several other key contributors this offseason. They already lost top offensive guard Ali Marpet, who surprisingly retired on Sunday after seven seasons with the team. As for other players, Arians said defensive linemen Ndamukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul told him they intend to play in the NFL this season, but said he was not sure if it would be in Tampa.
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