SI: Jason Licht Won The Power Struggle With Tom Brady
May 13th, 2022
“You know Tom, I’m sure as hell glad I never had to try to sell Jason Licht a house or a car.”
If you believe a guy Joe knows speaks with movers and shakers within One Buc Palace regularly, it is likely Tom Brady thought about trying to muscle his way to Miami or San Francisco, but Brady couldn’t get Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht to buckle.
That seems to be the scenario painted by Albert Breer of SI.com. In a recent Q&A feature, Breer was asked if Brady’s retirement/rapture was nothing more than a stunt for attention (think drama queen Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers).
Breer doesn’t believe that at all.
From Dat Boy BETTIS (@Bettis3636): Was Brady’s retirement a gimmick? Never felt real, just felt like he was trying to spoil Ben’s enshrinement.
Sorry, Jerome, I don’t think Brady was trying to overshadow the goings-on of Ben Roethlisberger. The way I see Tom Brady’s retirement now was as a sort of cooling-off period. Those six weeks served to give Brady time to consider his options without being under the will-he-or-won’t-he scrutiny that used to follow Brett Favre every offseason, and I do think (this is my opinion) he wanted to explore the idea of Miami or San Francisco.
Ultimately, the Bucs were never going to let him go, and their messaging at the combine made that clear. And the large number of free agents they had (Ryan Jensen, Chris Godwin, Alex Cappa, Leonard Fournette, Carlton Davis, Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul, Rob Gronkowski) gave them leverage in forcing a decision from Brady—if he was going to come back, it behooved him to make it clear before free agency start, or else he’d risk being left with a shell of the team he won with the last two years around him.
So now we’re back where we were, with Brady surrounded by a really good Tampa roster, and with a new head coach in Todd Bowles who I actually think is a really good fit for him. In the end, this all worked out alright for him.
There is that word. “Messaging.” Joe has written about this many, many times. Very often when team shot-callers speak in a public forum, it’s about a message hidden behind the words. What that message is, you often have to hunt and sift through chaff in the background.
Here is a good example of chaff: chatter the past two years about how Blaine Gabbert is the next Steve Young waiting for Joe Montana Tom Brady to leave so Gabbert can demonstrate he’s the next Bucs Pro Bowl quarterback.
When Gabbert was a free agent for a weeks just a short time ago (and last year) did you hear or read anything on social media from his agent that Seattle or Washington or Carolina or Atlanta reached out for an interview or a workout? No. If that actually happened, you just know his agent would get the word out to try and spark a bidding war.
Joe never saw or heard a peep from any team or agent they were flirting with Gabbert, despite teams being so desperate for a quarterback they’re slumming with igit Drew Lock and Carson Wentz and Sam Darnold and brittle runaround quarterback Marcus Mariota.
You know, messaging.
Licht made sure his message was clear at the combine: If Brady is playing in 2022, it’s with the Bucs only.
May 13th, 2022 at 10:33 am
Great work by JL, indeed.
May 13th, 2022 at 10:36 am
TB had the lush BA benched.
May 13th, 2022 at 10:44 am
Man. Brady overload is real bro. Exhausting. Last post. See yall after retirement!!!
May 13th, 2022 at 10:51 am
Back to the Saints and Jameis Christ, Lamarcus?
May 13th, 2022 at 10:56 am
So, Joe knows Albert Breer. Is Joe trying to say that Albert Breer spoke to movers and shakers within One Buc Palace regularly between the time Brady retired and when Brady came back?
If he had known this about Licht and Brady’s relationship then why would’nt Albert Breer in his March 13th in SI article come out and say it (after all this was after Brady had resigned).
By the way, he did not write an article even a week or month after that.
If Breer had this insider knowledge, he sat on it till now and let other bloggers and journalists bring it up first. I don’t think so.
My opinion, He is just playing the game. People like to hear the strife issues.
His gig with SI does not pay the money that his old gig with NFL Network did. He is trying to keep on the talk shows to make a little more money.
This stuff moves the needle for him to be asked back on those shows.
My opinion is based upon the above only. Again, why would Albert Breer sit on this story instead of breaking it — if he had indeed talked with movers and shakers within the Bucs headquarters.
May 13th, 2022 at 10:56 am
Lamarcus I’m with you bro I’m sick and tired of hearing every article about Brady. I can’t wait until Brady retire we win it’s all because of Brady. We lose it’s the coaching , blocking and defense . This is a Brady website they talk more about Brady than the bucs because they are pushing Brady to sale tickets . Lol 😆 🤣
May 13th, 2022 at 11:19 am
On a roll today……the “Gronk-a-day” article and the never ending Brady conspiracy……all we need is an America’s QB story and we’ll have hit the trifecta.
May 13th, 2022 at 11:23 am
And cue Florio…knowing his “distaste” for all things Bucs and BA, he’s gonna eat this up very soon
This is right down Florio’s alley
May 13th, 2022 at 11:33 am
I think Brady wants ownership and decision-making power… it looked like he could get that with Miami, but the accusations against Stephen Ross were way too much tarnish to smear on the Brady brand.
The Glazers had him over to England… made a handshake deal that when he retired they’d give him a piece of the Bucs.
Still no? How about we retire out Bruce and make an offense you choose so you won’t get murdered by Von Miller and the like? Would you come back then?
So I don’t think Tommy Boy orchestrated BA’s exit; that it was offered to him, and he gladly accepted.
And I don’t think JL out-manuveured TB, it was Brian Flores that ended that escapade. If Brady really wanted to play in Miami, they would have made it happen. Hell maybe they would have given up those 5 first round picks…
May 13th, 2022 at 11:36 am
Lamarcus and Oneil would be all atwitter with glee if there was a Jameis Christ story every day.
Maybe there is on Joe Saints Fan?
May 13th, 2022 at 11:57 am
This Brady to Miami thing reeks with mind numbing stupidity.
Licht would currently be confined to a straight jacket if he let Brady walk. And there was no way Miami would part with a bevy of young starters to get Brady for a year or two.
The Licht “genius” comments from those who those who think it took smarts to keep Brady had better have their own heads examined.
Those who penned these tales of apocryphal hype are just trying to stay relevant in a news world where half of what is written bears no resemblance to the truth.
May 13th, 2022 at 11:58 am
Breer … ‘Sorry, Jerome, I don’t THINK Brady was trying to overshadow the goings-on of Ben Roethlisberger.’
Aaahh yes, we just got Breer’s OPINION on what Tom Brady was up to. That just got filed in the ‘Why am I supposed to care what Albert Breer THINKS?’ circular file.
And as far as SI’s contention that ‘Jason Licht Won The Power Struggle With Tom Brady’ that’s even more horsepuckey. There was no power struggle; Tom Brady retired (1 year early on his contract), then he un-retired. JL held onto his rights as a potential bargaining chip with any other team in the event that TB12 decided to un-retire but wanted to play for someone else (those were the rumors that kept swirling, weren’t they?).
It’s not called a ‘power struggle’. It’s called ‘good business’. Why does the media insist that everything Tom Brady does has some sneaky backdoor motivation associated with it? PERHAPS at age 44 he REALLY DID decide to retire. And PERHAPS after a couple months of that he decided that he REALLY DOES want to play 1 more year of football. I know, no story here. Move on little doggies; nothing to see here folks (until we reinvent the story of course).
May 13th, 2022 at 12:11 pm
Oneilbucs
I feel you bro. 22 years of Brady is enough and he’s not that interesting either. He’s boring
May 13th, 2022 at 12:11 pm
DR—
Exactly …
May 13th, 2022 at 12:27 pm
Yeah Lamarcus and Oneil let’s go back to a time where every article written, all you two did was defend Winston and tell us how great he is. That is so much more interesting then being relevant in the NFL, winning a SB, with the greatest QB and NFL player of all-time. A guy that is so boring with all of his commercials, Supermodel wife and an International stage. Jealous much?
You two will be missed, enjoy the Saints blogs. I am still looking for those JW commercials and playoff appearances, not even wins.
May 13th, 2022 at 12:47 pm
Then why did he volunteer to leave NFL Network? And this was before he got promoted at SI?
Joe could write for two straight days of stuff he’s been told about the Bucs and players that have never seen the light of day both from folks inside and outside that building. When someone tells you to keep information under your cap, you oblige.
“Off the record” — at least to Joe — is sacrosanct.
May 13th, 2022 at 12:48 pm
Haa. LaMarcus says last post and then posts in the same thread.
Really seems a little dopey to me.
May 13th, 2022 at 12:51 pm
Brady got a partial victory with BA being “promoted”. I do believe the bucs told him they wouldn’t trade him. I think that’s a big reason why Brady signed a dummy voidable extension. He’ll be a FA at years end. It’s very similar to the situation his final year with NE. If Brady plays next year, I seriously doubt it’ll be in Tampa. If the bucs don’t get a top flight QB to replace him, it would really be a shame. If that doesn’t happen, they might as well start the rebuild, next off season. Blane freaking gabbert or Trask isn’t the answer.
There’s a population here, that actually wants Brady gone. I find that mind boggling, disappointing, and asinine.
May 13th, 2022 at 12:52 pm
Albert Breer is a pinhead.
May 13th, 2022 at 12:58 pm
Time to move on Joes. This is old news… And not even fact, just Albert Brees opinion… Be better fellas
May 13th, 2022 at 1:17 pm
Sorry to upset you, Joe.
If you know that the SI job is a promotion and not just that Breer was not renewed by the NFL network in May of 2017 than say it. I guess I stand corrected that the NFL network gig is a higher profile and higher paying gig.
i.e. I always thought TV media paid way better than print media.
l agree there is sometimes situations that reporters will promise the team that they will not report. Maybe most on the site will see this as true Breer insider knowledge and not just as an unsupported opinion.
May 13th, 2022 at 1:21 pm
Breer has been connected to the Brady camp for years. I find it funny that fans believe all the positive reports, and none of the bad. Breer isn’t Mike Florio. He’s not in the business of throwing poop against the wall. He’s a seasoned and careful reporter.
If breer sat on something, it happened for one of two reasons. Either he was asked to, or waited until he could confirm it with multiple sources.
May 13th, 2022 at 1:30 pm
geno, was thinking the same thing regarding Lamarcus. As one gay cowboy once said to another gay cowboy, “I wish I could quit you”. Unfortunately JBF is the other gay cowboy in this scenario, haha.
May 13th, 2022 at 1:36 pm
Good riddance Lamarcus.
Oneilbuc, you may as well follow Lamarcus and go root for Tampa’s former #1 overall draft BUST.
May 13th, 2022 at 2:01 pm
Great points lamarcus
Yah brady is boring. Jameis was exciting w 5 years here of losses, turnovers, no playoffs and crotch grabbing.
You didn’t believe the negative stories about jameis
But every negative story about brady
Please Promise us this is last post
Oh
And you are a gladiator!
😂
May 13th, 2022 at 2:02 pm
Just fyi
Jameis got a majority of the articles when he was here too
Get lost
May 13th, 2022 at 2:07 pm
GOB … Breer is ‘a seasoned and careful reporter. If breer sat on something, it happened for one of two reasons. Either he was asked to, or waited until he could confirm it with multiple sources.’
Ronnie Reagan had a great line: ‘Trust but verify’ (although I’m pretty sure that he didn’t trust the Russians any farther than he could throw them as the old saying goes). I feel the same way about the national media (and politicians BTW, but we won’t go there).
Breer MAY have inside sources in the Brady camp, and they MAY have fed him some ‘inside information’ regarding TB12’s retirement & subsequent un-retirement. But that’s NOT what he said in that quote. He started off his response to Jerome (whoever Jerome is) with the words ‘I don’t THINK Brady was trying to …’. No sources; no indication of ‘inside information’; no ‘trust me’ caveats.
Sorry, but I treat comments like that as OPINION. I have zero reasons to TRUST that Breer’s OPINION is any better than anyone else’s OPINION. Why? Because it hasn’t been verified. And until it is, it’s just one-man’s OPINION. BTW, there-in lies the biggest danger of our modern internet & social media in my OPINION. It’s oozing OPINION, with no way to verify. And far too many end up taking off-the-wall OPINIONS as gospel.
May 13th, 2022 at 2:27 pm
@Defense, I agree in general about the mass media. It’s mostly click bait and fake news. That doesn’t mean it’s all untrue. An informed option is sometimes all we have to go on. Dismissing any informed option out of hand, is unreasonable. The parties involved in this story aren’t going to give unvarnished opinions.
May 13th, 2022 at 2:28 pm
Its interesting though that Brady only committed to one year with no franchise tag option for the bucs. But I am glad hes here for one more year even though he has the three stooges as backups.
May 13th, 2022 at 2:36 pm
Lamarcus – I’m never going to post here again until Brady retires.
Five minutes later – waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! I guess I’m still posting here…
LOL!!!!!
What a drama queen.
News Flash – Nobody cares dude.
May 13th, 2022 at 2:45 pm
@Lamarcus, don’t worry. The bucs will surely go back to the unlovable losers they were before the goat arrived. You would’ve made a great Red Sox fan before 04. You people that want Brady gone obviously don’t enjoy winning.
May 13th, 2022 at 3:01 pm
That is all definitely true but I think the other thing we all should have learned by now is the Buccaneers organization, GM and head coach, and players like Brady are communicating. There is a lot more communication going on in the background than we know. They’re not getting blindsided in the media. Some organizations have been run like that but this does not appear to be one of them anymore. Kind of like Gronk, no doubt in my mind they know damn well about when he’s coming back.
That’s why we see something in the media and flip out wondering why this wasn’t addressed sooner… It was. The organization knows what’s going on with their coaches and players …. Mostly
May 13th, 2022 at 3:15 pm
If he wanted to go anywhere else they would’ve needed to know by free agency too. Otherwise he would’ve been in a Baker Mayfield situation
May 13th, 2022 at 3:20 pm
Lamarcus and Oneilbuc. The dorks that keep on dorking.
Bon voyage, ninnies.
May 13th, 2022 at 3:30 pm
Meh. Mountain out of a molehill.
May 13th, 2022 at 3:37 pm
You didn’t. 🤷♂️
May 13th, 2022 at 6:19 pm
@Defense Rules:
Thank you for the well-written sanity/reality take on this. Agree 100%
May 13th, 2022 at 6:23 pm
LeMarcus & OneLilBuc will be back before we know it. Always are…
Not sure Licht won a stand off necessarily…if Brady wanted to be elsewhere he would have made it happen. If anything Brian Flores blew up the Miami scheme by filing a lawsuit right before Brady/Miami/Sean Payton were to make a move. Allegedly. In a way it feels like Brady came back to a “lover” after all desirable options dried up. And the Bucs gladly ( and wisely ) welcomed him back with open arms.
May 13th, 2022 at 7:10 pm
Licht won. Good point! I love the way you remind everyone that the spoiled brat from Green Bay is really a drama queen, accent on the queen. Brady has to be careful though, there’s a fine line between a fierce competitor and a drama queen / prima donna. The more SB wins you have, the more you can get away with things.
May 13th, 2022 at 10:30 pm
I’m not sure describing a “power struggle” is accurate. Interesting how the Joes always view things through the lens of power. I still don’t think that’s really what was going on.
May 13th, 2022 at 10:57 pm
“Off the record” — at least to Joe — is sacrosanct.”
Amen Joe! I always kept three categories and everybody I interviewed knew how I rolled. OK for quote or attribution…from the person making the statement..is one thing…trust me to give me knowledge without wishing it’s origin to get leaked is as you suggest sacred.
Sometimes guys would even tell me stuff that wasn’t for any use..even as off the record knowledge with no quotes or attribution…it was privileged info just meant to inform me and not necessarily my audience.
May 13th, 2022 at 11:51 pm
@Defense Rules is the voice of reason. Why does everything have to be some conspiracy. There is no way you’re going to force Brady to do anything, and if he is a shrewd as you say, Brady would’ve definitely pushed the issue. If he wanted to stick it to the Bucs, he could’ve stayed retired waited for the Bucs to sign a big name QB, and then unretire. The Bucs cap situation would’ve been actual hell. They would have to release him. And like Defense Rules, Breer isn’t as plugged in as you think. Right now it’s just confirmation bias in regards to this his retirement.
May 14th, 2022 at 12:10 pm
I don’t recall Rich Gannon chatter about him being a franchise guy before Gruden turned him into one. But Gruden was foaming out the mouth to get rid of Wonder Boy Jeff George and bring in Gannon. It only takes one organization to believe in you. Look at Brady at pick 199.