Bucs Believed They Had A Chance To Bring Tom Brady Back
February 13th, 2023
“Tom, I know a team that can use you if you change your mind.”
Too often throughout the Lost Decade, the Bucs banked a lot on hope.
Hope is not a strategy. At least it shouldn’t be. And the two combatants in last night’s Super Bowl sure didn’t build their teams on hope.
Hope was a key element and likely why the Bucs were the doormat of the NFC during those sad if not galling years of the Lost Decade.
That seemed to change when Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht brought in Bucco Bruce Arians.
Well, listening to Arians last week in his appearance on “Late Hits” co-hosted by Alex Marvez and Robert Turpin, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio, it seems the Bucs were hoping Brady would return for 2023.
There were rumors the Bucs were asking offensive coordinator candidates how they would build an offense around Brady. That’s a good sign they thought they were very much in the mix to retain the soon-to-be Hall of Fame quarterback.
Listening to Arians, nothing in his voice disputed that notion. Marvez asked Arians if he was surprised by Brady’s retirement.
“I think you never knew with Tom,” Arians said. “What he went through was really pretty hard, personally. And he did an unbelievable job of trying to put it aside and went out and played at a high level.
“So I didn’t know if that was going to get to him. He can still sling it now, he can still sling it.”
Now, remember, this is coming from the senior advisor to the general manager. That’s Arians’ official title.
It sure sounded to Joe that not only did the Bucs think they had a legit chance of bringing Brady back, but they were fully enthusiastic to rock and roll with him in 2023.
February 13th, 2023 at 8:07 am
There is hope after TB12, was an emotional journey…Probaly we will have 1/2 years of hedaches, but we will be back…….
February 13th, 2023 at 8:10 am
This sucks dude now that I can actually watch all the Bucs games on Youtube next season they have to go back to being bad. I hate that we just can be a good team for years upon years instead one shot wonders.
February 13th, 2023 at 8:15 am
Rudderless ship
Why has no one
Glazer’s
Jason
Todd
addressed the world about the past season and what the plan is going forward
The most bizarre chapter in Buccaneers history is overflowing into the next.
I have absolutely NO FAITH in the Glazers
Sell the team please!
February 13th, 2023 at 8:26 am
Like I always said…..if he plays, he stays.
I never thought it made any sense for him to move elsewhere…..
Tom Brady, for the media, is the gift that keeps on giving…..
February 13th, 2023 at 8:27 am
I truly wish him back with us in creamsicle uniform this season.
But, well. Farewell to the Greatest Ever.
Go Bucs!
February 13th, 2023 at 8:30 am
Hope we tank with Trask or he turns out to be a great QB.. anything between those two outcomes is not good
February 13th, 2023 at 8:36 am
Beating a dead horse
February 13th, 2023 at 8:38 am
It seems somewhat telling that Arians said Brady did a good job of “trying” to put personal issues aside. One has to wonder how much he was affected by life outside of football. Oh well, what a blessing to have had him for those three years.
February 13th, 2023 at 8:39 am
Why have not the Bucs shot callers address their fans and the NFL
Leaderless and the rest of the NFL knows that, they can smell the fear and will be merciless to the Buccaneers franchise.
Two rented Lombardi trophies!
February 13th, 2023 at 8:46 am
Told ya so long ago he beat feet out of the clutches of coach Bozo asap after the Bowles led disaster. He got out of there in one piece too.
February 13th, 2023 at 8:47 am
Can they please hire a freaking OC already!
February 13th, 2023 at 8:50 am
Hey, everybody needs to cheer up. Remember, the Bucs can play some games in their throwback uniforms this year. And wouldn’t it be appropriate if they sucked in those uniforms? I really was looking forward to seeing TB12 in those creamsicle unis.
February 13th, 2023 at 8:52 am
Ok so what? We already knew and heard this. 0 new information in this article.
February 13th, 2023 at 8:53 am
Other than the quality play that we typically saw when Brady was under center is the exposure he brought to the team. I’m over on the east coast and was able to watch all but 2 or 3 games on TV, even games not in prime time. This year I’m sure things will revert to the old situation where I’ll have to listen to games on the radio if I want to know what’s going on in real time. That sucks!
February 13th, 2023 at 8:57 am
If the shot callers can not see how the game is played and the type of players used in 2020+ NFL
WE are gonna be doormats for the league.
Sell the team please Glazer’s
February 13th, 2023 at 9:14 am
But we didn’t and Bowles blew the opportunity to win with him twice. Once as a stubborn OC and another as a failed HC. Why is he still here?
February 13th, 2023 at 9:26 am
It was depressing watching the Andy Reid offense and contrasting it with the Bucs last season. Did you see the wide open receivers for 2 touchdowns against the best NFL defense. Doesn’t hurt to have a great O-line and an effective run game. Brady must have been weeping watching the KC offense.
February 13th, 2023 at 9:32 am
Apparently we’re stuck with bowlzo for at least one more year. Call it political correctness.
February 13th, 2023 at 9:36 am
What a waste of HOF talent. We wasted a Super Bowl ticket this year. Now we have cancer: Arians in this confusing DJ role mixing all kinds of garbage together with carte blanche; a GM who uses him as an envoy and (poor) advisor; owners who appear afraid to shake the org down; and now a HC that earned a firing instead sticking around like gauze inside a closed surgical wound. We already know we’ll have to watch this staff fester, blow up, and then start over. It’s so depressing. We could have slapped this season in the face at week 13 and put it on track; instead we all watched it melt down into a one-and-done at the hands of Kellen Moore and Mike McCarthy using status quo planning. I’ll be doing housework all Sundays next season 💯
February 13th, 2023 at 9:51 am
SB~LV- do you ever have anything intelligent to say. If you hate the Glazers, Bowles and the Buccaneers so much then go find another team to troll. It must really suck being you
February 13th, 2023 at 9:56 am
If we’re honest, Brady fell in their lap 3 yrs ago….I dont think Licht has ever really had much of a plan, certainly not a blueprint for success. We’ve wasted countless premium picks, we’re on our 4th head coach in his 9 yrs of being here, we drafted a project QB with nobody dedicated to developing him nor did we utilize him in any capacity to see what he might be able to do or at least identify things he can work on. Now we sit $50 million over the cap with a young QB we have zero confidence in.
February 13th, 2023 at 10:09 am
Very naive of the Bucs after the crap show that was last season.
February 13th, 2023 at 10:30 am
It shows how overconfident, naive, and out of touch with reality the leadership and coaching staff was. Now It makes no difference who we hire as a O.C. coordinator because it is a one year job. Then we wash away the Bowles experience just like the Schiavo, Koetter, Smith and other *h$tSh0ws.
February 13th, 2023 at 10:36 am
Hope is not a strategy. The lost decade is proof.
February 13th, 2023 at 10:52 am
Senior advisor to the GM. Why is he fired, didn’t he advise Licht to keep Blows and Leftnut?
February 13th, 2023 at 11:00 am
Brady come back!!!!!!!
February 13th, 2023 at 11:07 am
I don’t believe they will be bad more than a year, if that.
All of these people assuming the worst…without even knowing the state of the team. All we know is the cap issues atm…and those will have to be worked out before the season starts.
We don’t know the OC.
We don’t know the QB.
We don’t know if Trask will be good or not.
We don’t know which free agents are coming back.
We don’t know which players will be cut.
We don’t know which players will be traded.
We don’t know who we will draft.
We DO KNOW the season just ended…so now we get to see what is going to happen.
So, instead of assuming the worst (right now), let’s see the moves the team makes first.
February 13th, 2023 at 11:08 am
NEfan Says
“Senior advisor to the GM. Why is he fired, didn’t he advise Licht to keep Blows and Leftnut?”
Maybe. He likely did. But fired? Arians was away from the team a lot this year because of health issues…and he wasn’t permitted on the sideline during games, where he had the most value.
So no…he should not be fired.
February 13th, 2023 at 11:22 am
SB LV…….. S T F U smh NOT one person wants to see your moronic post.
February 13th, 2023 at 11:26 am
Par for the course miscalculations.
February 13th, 2023 at 11:28 am
Miscalculation…the common word describing failed organizations.
February 13th, 2023 at 11:31 am
Question: if the Bucs felt they had a chance to bring back Brady…then they thought they would have the cap room to do so?
February 13th, 2023 at 11:58 am
The lack of self awareness at OBP is alarming. Created a dumpster fire with Todd Bowles and then act surprised when TB12 doesn’t want to return.
February 13th, 2023 at 12:00 pm
What Bonzai said! OMG I’ve never seen a bigger group of Chicken Littles than those who overpopulate JBF!
Dang I’m surprised some of you guys even go out in the morning after all life sucks and then you die right?
February 13th, 2023 at 12:02 pm
It’s not a done deal that the Bucs will be a bad team in 2023. Regardless of who is under center, if the offensive line does not get fixed this offseason, it WILL be another bad year, probably worse than 2022. But if the offensive line gets fixed, then we have the other ingredients both offensively and defensively to be competitive and get back to the playoffs. Quarterback quality matters, of course, but as has also been proven time and again, most recently in 2022 by the 49ers, if you have all the other ingredients available, then even “Mr. Irrelevant” can suffice as quarterback.
February 13th, 2023 at 12:54 pm
BucsfanFred Says:
February 13th, 2023 at 9:32 am
It has nothing to do with political correctness or wokeness or whatever. Go post this kinda crap on the FuxNooz message boards.
February 13th, 2023 at 5:08 pm
I think Brady loves the Bucs organization. Joe did you know Jimmy G and Brady share the same agent Don Yee. Sean Payton also uses Don Yee and thats Brady’s link to Payton. Brady said he needed time to make decision. He did the same thing last year announcing quickly. I knew Yoko would get back involved and she did. Yoko got her wish he is retired. Every one says how rich she is then why is she running around taking pictures for a couple of grand here and there
February 13th, 2023 at 5:57 pm
sasquash, you may not want to believe it but part of BA’s decision to make Bowles HC was to be acknowledged for being accepting to diversity in the NFL. Lacey was hired for the same reason. He hurt the team and the cause. Funny how Bowles had no problem firing Lacey.
February 13th, 2023 at 7:54 pm
NEfan Says:
February 13th, 2023 at 5:57 pm
Arians didn’t have to do anything else to establish a legacy of hiring qualified people who happened to be black. I think he passed the job onto Bowles because he felt he was a worthy successor, and Jason Licht and the Glazers were on board. Had nothing to do with r@ce.
Arians can be wrong about guys too. Clearly, Leftwich was lost without him… And Bowles has another year to justify the faith that has been placed in him. He wasn’t fired because the Glazers don’t believe in firing coaches after one year, and he deserved the opportunity to hire his own staff… He didn’t keep his job because he’s black… [No, we’re not going there, sorry. — Joe.]
February 13th, 2023 at 9:21 pm
[Joe thinks that nonsense. And how is a man’s skin relevant to football? Joe is confident you can take these particular grievances to other non-football sites. Not here, sorry. Joe welcomes if not encourages robust debate. But this subject is a non-starter, sorry. — Joe.]
February 13th, 2023 at 9:45 pm
[Joe thinks that nonsense. And how is a man’s skin relevant to football? Joe is confident you can take these particular grievances to other non-football sites. Not here, sorry. Joe welcomes if not encourages robust debate. But this subject is a non-starter, sorry. — Joe.]
Well, you allow people to suggest that skin color is relevant. They do it all the time on here. But it’s not okay when I call it what it is?
February 13th, 2023 at 9:53 pm
Sasquatch:
Joe doesn’t get to see every comment. If someone uses race in a flamewar which you were certainly trying to do (if you didn’t think that BS accusation wouldn’t start a flamewar, Joe can’t help you), that’s verboten. All that does is stir up trouble and get Joe’s advertisers upset. At the end of the day, this place is a business and Joe is responsible for everything written here.
If there is a comment where someone was trying to start race nonsense feel free to point it out to Joe.
Joe doesn’t see why anyone would bring up race on an NFL site.
February 13th, 2023 at 9:54 pm
[One. Last. Time: If you see these comments — Joe is actually busy writing posts, doing research, traveling to sites, etc., therefore, doesn’t see every comment — email Joe these comments that you deem racist and Joe will look at them. If Joe actually had seen these comments, they would have been deleted. If you cannot understand this, Joe cannot help you. — Joe.]
February 13th, 2023 at 9:59 pm
Joe Says:
February 13th, 2023 at 9:53 pm
Yes these threads regularly feature accusations that black coaches can’t be fired because white owners are too afraid… which is basically like saying these coaches are keeping jobs they don’t deserve, which is inherently… the “R” word.
February 13th, 2023 at 10:05 pm
Again, if you see these comments bring them to Joe’s attention. You can email Joe at joe@joebucsfan.com.
February 13th, 2023 at 10:19 pm
Thanks Joe.
February 14th, 2023 at 7:48 am
Back to Brady. He was obviously one of the best qbs in NFL history. But the hard fact he was off his game last season. He probably should have stayed retired and avoided all the crap that came his way (divorce, loss of skilled players on the team, etc). But one poor season does not negate a fantastic career! Good on ya Tom!