TB12 is headed to T.B.
Six-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Brady has an agreement in principle to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a deal worth roughly $30 million per year, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday afternoon, per an source informed.
Brady’s big move down south comes after a whirlwind day of speculation. Brady announced early Tuesday morning that he would not return to the Patriots in 2020 but a verbal decision on where the QB would land was not expected until Wednesday at the earliest.
On Tuesday morning, he tweeted his Instagram passage, headed “FOREVER A PATRIOT.”
“To all my teammates, coaches, executives, and staff, Coach Belichick, RKK (owner Robert Kraft), and the entire organization, I want to say thank you for the past 20 years of my life, and your daily commitment to winning and creating a culture built on great values,” the first sentence read.
Throughout his 14-time Pro Bowl, three-time MVP career, Brady has taken less money than lesser QB’s to help the Pats build and turn over Super Bowl roster after Super Bowl roster. New England reached the title game of the NFL in almost half the sessons he was there — (Ed Rooney voice) NINE TIMES.
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Brady will inherit the third-ranked total and scoring offense from 2019 with weapons he hasn’t seen in New England since the Randy Moss era. Tampa Bay is returning two 1,000-yard receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Goodwin, two pass-catching tight ends in O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate and a rising running back in Ronald Jones. Far more explosive than the Patriots attack of years past, Brady surely took Tampa’s talent into consideration when exploring his next destination.
The Bucs will assuredly not be bringing back Jameis Winston, the former first-overall pick and their starter for the last five seasons. An impending free agent, Winston wore out his welcome in Tampa Bay. As often as he threatened defenses with his aerial prowess, Winston threatened his own offense with mental errors.
The Bucs QB threw 88 interceptions to 121 touchdowns over his stay in Tampa Bay. In 2019, he led the league in attempts (626) and passing yards (5,109), but also led the NFL in interceptions, becoming the first QB to throw for 30 TDs and 30 picks in the same season.
Bucs coach Bruce Arians, whose “no risk it, no biscuit” style seemed to jive with Winston, said after the season that Tampa Bay would explore all options under center. Those options included bringing Brady, a far steadier hand and inarguably the sport’s greatest game-manager, into the building.
Winston will now hit free agency when the new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, the latest casualty of the quarterback carousel.
