Although Tom Brady has taken steps back this season, the prospect of the unretired superstar again postponing retirement and playing in 2023 is on the table. It is not expected a Brady age-46 season would transpire in Tampa.
It is “widely assumed” around the NFL Brady’s Tampa Bay stay is winding down, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes, and SI.com’s Albert Breer adds it is likely the 23rd-year veteran retires or plays for another team in 2023. The Bucs did not consider trading Brady’s rights during his short retirement, but via the 2021 extension he signed, Brady is set to be a free agent in March.
Brady agreed to a 2022 restructure, helping the Bucs’ cap situation but preventing them from using their franchise tag on him next year. If the Bucs fail to extend Brady before his contract expires in March, they would carry a $35.1MM dead-money hit in 2023.
Signing a quarterback ahead of his age-43 season in 2020, the Bucs were not exactly preparing to play the long game here. The Brady signing helped produce the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship, and he led the league in passing yards last season. While this year has brought a stream of Brady headlines and reduced production, the Bucs going QB shopping — as they did briefly this year — in 2023 would still bring a major change for the franchise.
Brady, 45, both retired and unretired between the Bucs’ divisional-round loss and free agency. He was then the centerpiece of another team losing a first-round pick, with the Dolphins’ pursuit of a Brady-Sean Payton package leading to the loss of two draft choices. Brady agreed to a massive FOX deal to be their lead analyst when he retires, made a strange mid-training camp exit and was recently part of the most public divorce in NFL history. All the while, Bruce Arians stepped down shortly after Brady agreed to return to the team.
This avalanche of headlines preceded what has been a disappointing Bucs season. Tampa Bay (6-7) still leads the NFC South, but this is one of the worst divisions in NFL history. Brady’s QBR (51.0) ranks 23rd — a steep decline from his second-place finish (73.1) in 2021 — and La Canfora adds friction between he and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich exists. Philosophical differences between Brady and Leftwich have dated back to last season, JLC notes. Leftwich has been the Bucs’ play-caller throughout Brady’s tenure, though Arians obviously held considerable influence during his time on the sidelines.
This is certainly interesting, considering the reported Brady-Arians rift was connected to the latter’s decision to step away (though, Arians has denied this consistently). But the post-Arians Bucs have struggled consistently on offense; they have dropped from second to 28th in scoring from 2021 to this season. Were it not for Brady-led comebacks that downed the Rams and Saints, the team would be 4-9.
Brady long hoped to play until 45, but he has recently kept the door open to venturing further into uncharted (non-kicker division) waters. If the Bucs are drifting out of the picture for a Brady age-46 season, some teams previously connected to the legendary passer may be back in the mix soon. The 49ers, who have just seen Jimmy Garoppolo go down with another major injury, are again being tied to the Bay Area native, and La Canfora mentions the Raiders and Dolphins as other teams who could consider Brady. Brady was connected to the 49ers in 2020 and, briefly, this year, while it has been reported Brady’s reference to “that mother——“ (regarding his 2020 free agency) meant Derek Carr. Brady-to-Miami happening after this year’s penalties would cause quite the firestorm. When asked Sunday if the Bucs-49ers game would be his last time playing in the Bay Area, Brady responded (via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Michael Silver) “I don’t know; I don’t know.”
Rob Gronkowski said Brady calling it quits and joining him at FOX “may be the best option.” Brady agreed to a 10-year, $375MM deal with the network this offseason. Considering how driven the seven-time Super Bowl champion has been in extending his career, it would surprise if he does not consider his options in free agency. But he does have a lucrative fallback option.
“That may be the best option,” Gronkowski told USA Today’s Mackenzie Salmon (via Bucs Wire). “He’s definitely, you know, he’s a free agent. He can weigh out every option, whatever team he wants to play for, or if he wants to go in that booth and come join me, and we can be, you know, the tag team champions in the world.”
‘…If the Bucs fail to extend Brady before his contract expires in March, they would carry a $35.1MM dead-money hit in 2023…’
If his contract expires, how could there be a dead money hit? It was a 1 year deal for this season, right?
The restructure?
The way they structure contracts in the NFL is crazy. Almost every big contract will have dead money
I believe cuz he’s restructured multiple times, to create cap room over his Bucs tenure, that cap space he saved the team is pushed back as long as he’s on the team. Whenever his contract runs out, he leaves, or retires all that money hits the payroll immediately. So, if they don’t extend him again, as soon as he becomes a free agent that money comes in to play. The Bucs and Licht knew this all along and are going win now mode so purposely did it to win rings when they can. As soon as Brady leaves they’re screwed and they know it. Gonna have to cut some vets, maybe Evans and maybe a lineman(david or barrett) just to make it under the cap. Gonna be rough times in Tampa, whenever this happens.
This is exactly what happened to the patriots. When brady left in 2020 they had over 20m in dead cap space they had to eat.
Brate and fournette are 2 others who could go. Brate needs to go either way, he was never elite and got a 7 year contract(including the year of his extension) for 40 mil+. That’s dumb. In all honesty Brady coming to town saved Licht’s job, just one man’s opinion.
Come home Tom
Why would the Dolphins be interested in Brady when they have Tua?
Hahahahaha, you serious? Dead Tom is a pure and obvious upgrade on Samoan Trent Dilfer
In 2017, sure…
Have you watched Tua play the last 2 weeks? If that continues, I guarantee the Dolphins will bring in somebody else next season.
Mcdaniel has such a positive personality and outlook it bends reality for some people
Because Tua is overrated…
What the owner wants the owner gets. The owner Ross has a hard on for Brady.
Maybe it’s just me, but at this point, I don’t care what he does as long as he just does it and tells us what he’s going to do, just so there isn’t any more speculation about it. There hasn’t been this much drama about a career finishing up since Brett Favre.
Aaron Rodgers would like a word.
Odell begs to differ.
Andrew Luck also has a few words for this party.
Odell’s career isn’t ending so this makes no sense.
Odell’s career should end. His career is in the toilet. It’s not like he’s doing anything in 2022
Yeah, because he’s injured. Last time he played he was effective. This is a strange take. You can hate Odell without making weird statements.
Go play for the Giants, Lurch. If you can’t beat em, join em.
If he chooses to play, he’ll get BUC(K)S !!
Well, per that deal with FOX, if he doesn’t play, he’ll get them without the parentheses.
It’s the 49ers. No other team makes sense. Trey lance wasn’t ready. Let lance rehab fully sit behind Brady for a year. Jimmy g would require a multi year commitment so that’s off the table with lance waiting. Brady for one year and he probably does it on a fairly cheap deal to build a contender. Deebo, aiyuk, cmc, Kittle, great line, great defense. Probably some guys take a discount to play there. Another receiver probably joins them maybe julio
If Purdy wins the Super Bowl, I don’t see how the Niners can bring in Brady
Wow….that’s a Grand Canyon size jump to a conclusion.
Yea good luck against Philly lol
I don’t see him signing a cheap deal. He can always just take his broadcasting role for 37 million a year.
That’s always there the deal says when he retires. By cheap 20 million
I think the 49ers got a good look at what they don’t want this past weekend. Brock Purdy and Trey Lance will be the 2 QB’s on the roster next year.
Back to NE lol
The Jets make football sense, and he’d get to be petty on two fronts: facing Belichick twice a year AND take his post-divorce bachelorhood to the biggest market possible.
Will it actually happen? I can’t imagine. But it would be a hilarious troll move for all parties.
The White Male Sports Media would want it. Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh do not think that way.
What?
Saints make a lot of sense. Rehire Sean Peyton.it would explain why they didn’t do a head coach search and just promoted an interim.
Have an easy path to the playoffs in that division since the bucs will be cap crunched.
Is he going to start using…”Avocado Ice Cream”…again and be able to throw the ball more than 12 feet from the line of scrimmage?
If not, he’s unlikely to play for any NFL team that isn’t INTENT on signing over the hill QB’s.
Thus, he’ll be a Colt.
Colts were my knee jerk reaction to this article. Doubt it happens though because my intuition is all wrong.
Daniel Jones in pewter and red next term?
GO AWAY
He may not have a choice but to go away.
I wonder why when a Commanders article is posted everyone is an expert on Viginia, Congressional, and Federal Investigations. With Tom Brady no one mentions FTX and the Texas, Florida, and Federal Investigations.
@Rose_Bud; LOL. Personally, I’m waiting for Woodward and Bernstein to come out of retirement to investigate and then report on all of Brady’s adventures/ventures in a book entitled “All the Qbs Men”. Instead of the main informant being nicknamed “Deep Throat” it would be “Deep Route”.
Chortle Chortle, Chuckle Chuckle, Cackle Cackle
Has anyone done an autopsy on the Bucs to figure out what went wrong this year?
Todd Bowles.
$375M to sit back and make fun of Terry Bradshaw. How can one resist…?
Their shows are unwatchable, nothing but goofy chuckles and yucking it up with a tiny bit of football insight added in between.
I guess the superstar team falling on hard times means that it’s time to go…
I’m not sure where Brady goes, but it won’t be to a team that isn’t as loaded as possible. How many teams fit that category-loaded but no settled quarterback? Denver, NYJ, San Francisco, Tennessee come to mind. San Fran has a QB that they will need to make a decision on, as do the Jets. Denver is tied to Wilson for the foreseeable future. Tennessee just picked a QB, but obviously aren’t necessarily tied to Willis or Tannehill. Would they even be in the market? The other question I have is about Sean Payton. Will wherever Brady goes mean that Payton will attempt to follow? That might not be the case, but it could be part of it.
Miami, because of Ross, will always linger here. But how would the other owners take that? Brady was never punished for the tampering, and he eventually would get what he wanted. I’m not sure how the NFL prevents that, but I’m sure some of the owners would be ticked. McDaniels offers Brady familiarity, but I’m not sure that will be enough to lure him to a bad team (even one featuring a good tight end). One thing’s for sure-wherever Brady goes, he’s not going to put himself in a bad position. Tampa might be having a bad year, but they have a lot of talent still on that roster. Brady and company have just been playing badly. I’m not sure which of the other openings have more talent, and also have the willingness to pursue him. San Fran, New York, and Tennessee seem like the most likely options, but nothing feels for sure with any of them. If I had to pick, I’d say the Titans right now, with San Fran as second.
If he plays next year, I can almost guarantee that it will be the Raiders and a reunion with Josh McDaniels!
It’s hard to imagine loyal Raider fans cheering the “tuck rule” QB that screwed them. I’d also be interested to see how long time Raider fans react to Brady passing George Blanda on the all time games list.
Why is there a philosophical difference between him and Leftwich? Supposedly the story was that him and Leftwich would arrive early and develop the gameplan, and then Arians would arrive later and cross out everything they did, but now that there is no Arians to blame or rightly take credit for the offense’s success, leftwich is the problem?
For Pete’s sake, put a fork in Brady, he’s done.
Brady has that 8-figure contract to be a game analyst on “America’s (Brand-Name) Game of the Week”. Should he back out of Fox to stay in the league, he’ll be another Brett Favre whose NFL career didn’t end in glory.
I’m guessing 95%+ NFL careers don’t end in glory. He’s had enough glory in his career, he’ll be fine.
The deal is for whenever he retires. Not just this off-season. Whenever he decides to hang it up he’s got that there.
To the glue factory!
At age 45 he is a better QB than most in the NFL. Someone would want him for another year. What team is solid but needs a good, veteran QB to get over the hump?
I could see Brady playing for either the Raiders or the Titans next year.
Hell will freeze over before the Raiders sign the QB who was the beneficiary of the Tuck Rule. (Also known as the Foxboro Screwjob.)
They accepted Josh McDaniels
Well, Mark Davis accepted him…
I’m hesitant to say he has finally hit the wall and is washed up since I thought the same in 2019 and look what he went and did the last 2 years. It’s very possible his issue this year is simply Todd Bowles. I knew they’d stink it up with him as coach for two reasons, one being his previous history as a HC and the other being one that isn’t politically correct to say despite the fact NFL history supports it.
I can see him coming back since he’s clearly addicted to football and can’t let go. I would think with him deciding to come back this year and destroy his marriage in the process that he would look to keep the one thing that has been fairly stable in his life going if he is indeed not washed up.
Brady has played long enough ..its just insanity why he keeps on going
The NFL should really just outlaw dead years in contracts. You either give the player the money he wants and deal with it or you don’t sign them.