Did Bucs Have An Idea Tom Brady Decision Was Coming?
February 1st, 2022
“Jason, did you get Deshaun Watson’s cell from Billy O’Brien?”
For Joe, two things are working in relation to the expected Tom Brady retirement announcement.
The first element is, could the Bucs or any team actually be blindsided that a 44-year old quarterback would decide to hang it up?
Jeremy Fowler of BSPN claims that while Brady did not tell the Bucs he is retiring (he did tell Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians and AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht he has made no decision), there were tea leaves to read for the Bucs’ shot-callers in the past few weeks.
Fowler explained on SchlockCenter yesterday on BSPN, transcribed by Rob Goldberg of Bleacher Report.
“After asking around yesterday and this morning, the sense I get is that the Bucs knew this was at least a strong possibility for about two months because early in the year Tom Brady was speaking publicly about how he wanted to play multiple years and keep this thing rolling. And then sort of behind the scenes there was a little bit of a shift in tone. As one source told me, he talked an awful lot about his family. As he should, he’s got a beautiful family. And it’s not that he didn’t do that before, but it became clear that he was looking at the bigger picture more, wanting to spend time with his kids. And so it now looks like he’ll have an opportunity to do so. And the Bucs coaches going through these interview processes, Todd Bowles and Byron Leftwich both coordinators have been up for head coaching jobs, they were doing those discussions knowing that change is possibly or likely coming in Tampa. So this is something that the organization is trying to grapple with right now and make changes for 2022.”
If you believe Fowler — and what’s not to believe — something got to Brady midseason.
Was it the frustration with the offense when Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski were out and the offense seemed stuck in the mud? Was it the defense that struggled midseason? Or did Brady’s wife threaten divorce again?
Remember, shortly after signing with the Bucs, Brady told Howard Stern that his wife threatened divorce if he didn’t stop going to OTAs with the Belicheats; that it was either her or Belicheat and he had to choose.
The second element here is, Joe sure hopes the Bucs weren’t totally blindsided.
Signing a 42-year old quarterback, the Bucs should have had a backup plan in case Brady got hurt and threw in the towel or decided to hang it up after his first Tampa Bay season.
Any team banking on a player over 40, well, that’s a helluva gamble no matter who that athlete is.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:11 am
Contingency planning is a good idea.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:13 am
If Licht is the good gm some think he is, he better be on the phone and shopping the average and overpaid O-line! Makes trades for picks before they are exposed. Brady made the O-Line better than it was. Brady has retired, and if the GM acts quickly and decisively he can cut years off of the rebuild.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:19 am
I’m guessing it’s the wife/family. his body can still play high level football but his mind is not on the same page.
or
he’s weighing the money. hell get 15m bonus on Friday but if he retires he need to pay back 16m.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:37 am
Save The Licht House….Make The Bucs Great Again.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:03 am
Bucschamp … Personally don’t think that the money matters a lick to Tom Brady. His contracts with the Pats & Bucs have all been incredibly ‘team friendly’ and he’s taken far less than he could have over all those years. Brady’s about winning & about being competitive when it comes to football.
But what more is there to accomplish on the football field? Money’s not an issue with the Brady family it seems, but time is. I wouldn’t doubt at all that family is playing a much bigger role in his decision-making than it did when he was younger. His 3 kids are getting older & these are very precious years to all dads.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:08 am
🎤🎶
Brady come back!
Ev’ry Bucs fan can seee…
We are lost
And the Bucs can’t win without you!
🎵🎸
February 1st, 2022 at 6:08 am
Proud Bucs Fan: you have such a weird take it’s hard to reply.. any good qb makes the line better. As an example Winston didn’t know what he was looking at so he’d hang onto the ball or just Chuck it. Without Brady next year the line isn’t suddenly awful if it’s trask as an example there will be growing pains no one gets it off quicker than Brady. Wouldn’t mind seeing an upgrade at RG Cappa is decent but not dominant. But for an ol our LG, C if Jensen is back and RT I think are all great. Smith is hit or miss but that’s the NFL your entire team isn’t going to be elite.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:18 am
Brady is an admitted BSer who is a supposed marketing guru of some kind.
2+2
It’s been an elaborate ruse, with strategically planted breadcrumbs all over the place for the florios and fowlers of the world to chase. Doing what purportedly would be uncool to do during Super Bowl week, so he’s getting his pound of flesh before then, while he laughs at the world between spoonfuls of guacamole ice cream.
While the sports world pauses, and Brady’s image is pumped 24-7 on all networks, Licht is seizing the advantage and working the phones.
You heard it here first!
February 1st, 2022 at 6:44 am
He hasn’t retired yet. Joe an everyone else need to stop playing the what if games and calm down. Be patient. The time will come when TB12 lets us know his decision. None of you are GMs even joe. Y’all keep saying Bucs need this Bucs need that. Only thing the Bucs need is to learn to play consistent. That’s needs to be the focus. This team won a super bowl n could of repeated but they couldn’t play good consistent football.
February 1st, 2022 at 6:58 am
The entire situation was a super small window from the beginning…..dont believe we should have ever been caught off guard with a 44 yr old QB retiring. That was a big part of the entire gamble. We made the right call to move on from Winston, made the right call to sign Brady….i like to believe we have a plan for this.
February 1st, 2022 at 7:02 am
I don’t think it is the age, coaches, team mates, money. Non of that. If he quits it will be because of the wife. Too bad, as he took care of his body above and beyond what most do. Still has at least a few more years in him.
February 1st, 2022 at 7:14 am
Happy wife, happy life. That saying isn’t around for nothing. The problem Gisele will have is if Tom decides for her and not for himself.
February 1st, 2022 at 7:15 am
I’m excited to see what Trask can do. I’ve done some reading up on the qb’s in the 2022 draft and no one is saying that there is anyone close to a sure thing, but you gotta keep swinging!
February 1st, 2022 at 7:21 am
You could see In his face this year
Not sure if 100 % family but if its the fam/wife divorce then he is toast
But he has to realize saints about to get blown up
Sure their schedule is tough
But if he can bring in a few more of his guys to continue to change the culture their may be a chance . Watching that man in the arena it was always structure and winning at all costs. This is way different here which has pluses too
Cause off-season is different now . He can be with family for half year now
And someone said yesterday but what kid wouldnt want their
Dad showing off. Thats def true. Giselle is against it obviously
But one more year and he gets the farewell tour he deserves
Every team will look different
Look at teams in super bowl. We should best both. Now rams had our number but lets be honest. Out coaching was not so great for good chunks of year
February 1st, 2022 at 7:23 am
None of it is a surprise. It’s not a big deal. It should have been expected. He signed a 2 year contract. He signed a cap friendly extension.
Move on.
February 1st, 2022 at 7:24 am
As was said. You have a 44 year old QB, and you don’t know that the end of his career might be any time soon? Wow.
February 1st, 2022 at 7:24 am
I just “loved” when the camera panned to his wife in the suite when Tampa was down 27-3 And she was dancing and waving, laughing and smiling . She didn’t give a crap. She was prob thrilled that it was his last game. Seems to me Brady is retiring partly out of obligation to his super annoying wife
February 1st, 2022 at 7:29 am
I mean if you go by the two months scenario that could be interpreted as around Halloween when we got beat by the saints on snf. The national media turned on us pretty hard then, and Brady was suddenly out of the MVP talk. If it had anything to do with the organization, it was yet another loss to the saints, who Brady certainly wanted to beat on national tv.
February 1st, 2022 at 7:29 am
The Bucs don’t have the money or the draft picks to trade for a QB and free agency is slim pickens!
February 1st, 2022 at 7:34 am
Rumor has it that the NFL is thinking about putting the kabash on the way teams are signing players and pushing the players money years past, after their contracts up.
February 1st, 2022 at 7:37 am
Pro football is a business first. All for profit business’ have contingency plans. Ditto for succession plans. Licht GM skills will be tested this season.
The kid from Florida was drafted to replace TB12. Let the emergency back up QB start the season. Put him back on the bench ASAP.
February 1st, 2022 at 7:44 am
Brady hates to lose….the loss to the Saints & WTF probably really bothered him……the Saints shutout at home…..and then the way we lost to the Rams….
He’s just licking his emotional wounds right now..
And of course we have contingency plans……we drafted a QB in round 2…..we have options to trade future picks for a QB or pick one up in FA.
We didn’t know that Brady wouldn’t get a career ending injury during the season…….so, we had to have plans. We simply can’t execute them until the appropriate dates.
February 1st, 2022 at 7:49 am
So are the Jags hiring Leftwich or not? Seems like Jax is using BL just like the Saints defense has.
February 1st, 2022 at 7:50 am
Give TB part ownership to play 1 more year.
February 1st, 2022 at 8:20 am
I’m calling B.S. on this article-
The Bucs signed Brady because the organization was All In on winning now because they believed they had the players to win now and Brady agreed.
Every team in the NFL is screwed if their starting QB goes down.
If the Defense didn’t crap the bed vs Rams – Bucs are likely in SB again this year
– Brady is likely disgusted that the coaching staff was not as focused as he was on beating the Rams and is evaluating (depending on what Bucs are planning to do personnel wise ) his current situation vs another team opportunity vs retirement.
BSPN is trying to cover their presumptuous reporting.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:09 am
Let me see, 44 year old QB who’s family has been asking him to retire for about five years, won it all, done it all, hell yeah the Bucs new this might happen. Hell, we all have. Great reporting, the Bucs knew this was possible. Didn’t we all?
February 1st, 2022 at 9:17 am
They drafted Trask so obviously they were thinking about it already
February 1st, 2022 at 9:24 am
Go for the face, I saw that too and it was annoying. Bad optics. She’s been doing that crap since his patriot years. Calling out his teammates when they don’t make great plays like she did with welker a few years ago. Unnecessary. Think of all the other supportive NFL wives. Tolerating your spouse’s career is not being supportive.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:59 am
No idea because BA is clueless. Brady saw this talented team go back to being undicipline and losing games they should of won. He was probably looking for the perfect season but the coaches kept getting in the way. The battle struggle of BA wanting all the attention, the throwing players under the bus, the lack of accountability, the handling of AB and the last straw was Bowles play call. BA killed a legend.
February 1st, 2022 at 10:55 am
Going into a new season without a QB in place doesn’t inspire confidence. Free agency will be interesting. Who knows which guys we allow to walk? Will external free agents bypass Tampa now? We have no more Tom Brady. We have a lame duck head coach, as everyone assumes he’ll only be here another year. We don’t have cap space to overpay as an incentive to go to Tampa. The championship window is closed. Not sure spending big on another QB is worth it now. Maybe it’s time to shed cap and take a year to commit to youth. We still can compete in the NFC South, but that’s about it.
February 1st, 2022 at 11:21 am
We’ve all heard Brady talk about being focused-especially starting in December…….
what happen mid season was the awfull WFT game–which came after the Bye week.They were rested -but unprepared, not focused
Then when he saw Bowles & leftwich scheduling interviews during prep for the playoffs-they were not focused……… You could see it in his demeanor on the bench during Rams game
February 1st, 2022 at 12:12 pm
Cap, the sad part is when they tied the game the Brady of old was charged up in his teammates faces, he knew if he got the ball it was over. Poof the fake coach DC dialed up a full blown blitz that everyone in sports media warned him not to. Nope, there goes the game, there goes Brady and Bowles still has his job.
February 1st, 2022 at 12:15 pm
I’m sure this decision is mostly driven by his family but you could see he became disenchanted with the coaching and team as the season wore on. This team rested on their laurels from last year and that drives Brady crazy.