Tom Brady rumors: Buccaneers expected to sign former Patriots QB
Six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady is expected to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington.
According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the two have agreed upon a deal in principle at a contract valued at roughly $30 million per year.
While there is no official announcement date set up between Brady and the Buccaneers, the Chargers, another reported leading suitor, believe they are “out of the running” for Brady after making him an offer, according to NFL Network’s Jim Trotter. The Brady camp, per Trotter, “has led the Chargers to believe he is going to stay back East because of family considerations.”
Brady announced on Tuesday morning that he would be leaving New England after 20 seasons. He announced his decision in a social media post titled “Forever A Patriot.”
“To all my teammates, coaches, executives and staff, Coach Belichick, RKK and the Kraft family and the entire organization,” Brady wrote, “I want to say thank you for the past twenty years of my life and the daily commitment to winning and creating a winning club built on great values.
“Although my football journey will take place elsewhere, I appreciated everything that we have achieved and am grateful for our incredible TEAM accomplishments. I have been privileged to have had the opportunity to know each and every one of you, and to have the memories we’ve created together.”
The 42-year-old Brady had never tested the open market before this offseason and questions about his future picked up steam upon the Patriots’ sudden Wild Card round loss to the Titans.
Despite making 14 Pro Bowls with the Patriots and winning six Super Bowls, Brady’s production has slipped in recent years. He threw for just 4,035 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2019. His completion percentage (60.8%) was also his lowest since 2013.
New England finished last year’s regular season with a 12–4 record. But a late-season loss to Miami dropped the team out of a top-two seed in the AFC Conference and set up a first-round matchup with the Titans.
Tampa Bay finished 7–9 last season in Bruce Arians’s first season as the team’s head coach. The club has had just one winning season since 2011.
Brady will look to help the Buccaneers make their first playoff appearance since 2007 as the franchise has made just two postseasons after winning the Super Bowl in 2002.