“Quiet Diplomacy”
March 14th, 2022
“Bruce, I will tell Tom you lost 50 pounds using his TB12. Maybe that will help get him back?”
This doesn’t shock Joe one bit, and now it is confirmed and out there for all to read.
Tom Brady’s return to the Bucs was not a spur-of-the-moment thing. Joe speculated that yesterday and that Team Glazer had a major hand in it.
Per crossword-puzzle-puzzled, Elon-Musk-peeved, Barstool-Sports-triggered, almond-milk-sipping, hot-dog-eating-contest-protesting, mock-draft-scowling, L.L.-Bean-wearing, tennis fans’ advocate, Second Amendment abolitionist, Mike-Florio-arguing, parrot-insensitive, chewing-with-his-mouth-open, soup-gulping, California-train-romancing, anti-football proliferation, outhouse-admiring, airline-napping, steerage-flying, Yogi Berra-worshiping, urinal-picture-taking, video-game-playing, Taylor-Swift-listening, pickpocket-thwarting, Bucs-uniform-frowning, Allie-LaForce-smitten, Big-Ten-Network-hating, pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, craft-beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball-box-score-reading, NPR-honk, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training, Budweiser-tolerant, baseball-scorecard-keeping, pasta-feasting, vomit-dodging scrooge, Kay-Adams-following, Coors-Light-souring, pineapple-upside-down-cake-eating social activist and NFL insider Peter King of NBC Sports fame, it seems Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht and Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians did a soft-sell with Brady on returning to the Bucs.
Brady unretiring after 40 days as a man of leisure wasn’t a shock to all. There was quiet chatter that Brady was having second thoughts after his Feb. 1 retirement, and coach Bruce Arians and GM Jason Licht were using quiet diplomacy with him in the past couple of weeks. Licht and Arians did it the smart way: no pressure, take your time, do what makes you happy, we’ll always have a spot for you. When I met with Licht at the NFL Scouting Combine nine days ago, I sensed he thought the Bucs had a chance at Brady returning.
“Always thought there was a chance,” Arians told me in a text Sunday night. “Slim, but had fingers crossed the last few weeks.”
And the following didn’t surprise Joe at all: Brady made a decision prior to yesterday and was already working on free agent center Ryan Jensen to come back. And he is with a nice raise.
Now Joe has to wonder what other Bucs free agents Brady is working on behind the scenes?
March 14th, 2022 at 5:16 am
Save The Licht House. Sign em all!!!
March 14th, 2022 at 5:22 am
Time to play a little more GOATonomics, suddenly Bucs FA guys will be inking deals with the Bucs like Jensen already has.
GO BUCS!!!!
March 14th, 2022 at 5:31 am
Time to make this real and respectable.
PAY THE GOAT
There will be more CAP space down the road
(TV Deals are exploding = Much bigger Salary Cap)
Give Brady 2 Year $125million+ incentives extension = 3 years
(total deal then would be $150million plus incentives)
creatively back end loaded
This would show free agents and players a long term commitment.
Not some one year remaining on retirement contract type atmosphere.
Lock it down and make Brady the GOAT in pay too.
Glazers can afford it,
especially with guaranteed playoffs every year that Brady plays.
DO IT NOW!!!
LFG!!!
March 14th, 2022 at 7:04 am
Give Brady $5 million a year for lifetime
March 14th, 2022 at 7:08 am
Damn, I hadn’t seen it in a few dozen Peter King posts, but Joe’s Red type space eating hyperlinks are again back.. time to skip all Peter King posts.. sadly again..
March 14th, 2022 at 7:39 am
Maybe Glazers offered a lil bot of ownership & will make TB12 a BUC for life!!!
I always thought that if he came back it would be with BUCS, why learn a new system?
March 14th, 2022 at 7:57 am
Unbelievable! Now we are division favorites.
March 14th, 2022 at 8:01 am
Wasn’t King one of those saying Brady no longer wanted to play in Tampa? They have all lost any credibility they had. Hardly better than our very own trolls.
March 14th, 2022 at 8:02 am
As a Christian, Brady unretiring after 40 days is very significant. No, I’m not comparing Brady to God. The number 40 is just very significant this time of year for me.
March 14th, 2022 at 8:06 am
I seriously doubt that money is even a minor concern for Brady at this point in his career. He loves to play the game, and he knows he won’t have many more opportunities. It’s hard to quit a job that you love. Hopefully 2022 won’t be his last.
March 14th, 2022 at 8:22 am
But wait! You mean Arians wasn’t the reason Tom left?!!!
Welcome back Tommy!
March 14th, 2022 at 8:31 am
Are they going to let him have his old number?
🙃
March 14th, 2022 at 8:36 am
I’ve gone from dreading the start of next season to insane excitement in one day.
We are a major relevant team for at least one more year!
Thanks Tom!
March 14th, 2022 at 8:44 am
Brady and Peyton had a discussion years ago, they both agreed they would “play until they suck”. Peyton reached that their last Super Bowl, Brady is still the best QB in football… Hard to quit when you are still so good
March 14th, 2022 at 8:48 am
The Buccaneers are probably working on some of the guys that Tom wants, Gronk and Lenny… Maybe even a call into Marpet.
Everyone else, like SUH and JPP and Cappa, the Buccaneers may be looking at cheaper and in some cases younger options
March 14th, 2022 at 9:22 am
A hungry Brady is a dangerous thing. Anyone who decides the Bucs are an option is doing so because they know they will be playoff bound. Makes your job as GM easier. Am looking forward ro a few more surprises.
LFG Bucs!
March 14th, 2022 at 9:51 am
Our offense is gonna score points. If not Fournette, Patterson, if not JPP, how about Chandler Jones.
All of a sudden players are gonna want to play for Tampa.
Weak Division means playoffs, even though we have a tough schedule.
Plenty of Cap Room and possible trade scenarios like the Rams did.
The sky is not falling anymore.
In fact, the Bucs are flying high baby.
LFG
March 14th, 2022 at 10:07 am
The Glazers treating him to a ManU game must have been the final sell lol
March 14th, 2022 at 10:08 am
bucsince79 aka bumaneer, I AGREE why not give or let TB12 buy in to the organization what better life long relationship to get hitched the GOAT and to possibly get another 1 or 2 SB championships for Tampa Bay LFG!
March 14th, 2022 at 10:27 am
Right after the first ball that pops of Johnsons chest for the pick six, you’ll all be throwing him under the bus again crying for Watson, Carr, Jimmy G etc. Fair weather fans. He just made the city tens of millions of dollars. DumbBelle you can live rent free for another year and BA has a chance to enhance his legacy. Fix that secondary and get rid of Darden on ST PLEASE!!!
March 14th, 2022 at 10:31 am
Wasn’t PK one the people saying Brady retired because of Arians?
March 14th, 2022 at 10:33 am
But according to so many posters in here Brady hates Arians and couldn’t wait to escape
March 14th, 2022 at 2:22 pm
Bucs Win Says:
March 14th, 2022 at 10:31 am
Wasn’t PK one the people saying Brady retired because of Arians?
***
Nah, that was always Florio. I like Mike, he usually gets these things right, but that was a horrible take and he stuck with it.
March 14th, 2022 at 4:01 pm
Ahhh we see the Joe who despises Peter King here! The other one said he respects or likes him, some kind word that this here Joe cannot stoop himself to do! PRICELESS! PRRIICCELESSS!!!😅🤣😂