Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran quarterback Tom Brady recently signed a four-year contract extension that is essentially a one-year contract extension because of three voidable years. The fresh deal would allow the 43-year-old Brady to play until he’s 45 years old and stay with the team until the 2022 season. Edge rusher Shaquil Barrett will have a chance to play with Brady for at least two more years when he signed a four-year, $72 million deal to stay with the Buccaneers. It’s worth noting that Brady’s contract extension gave the Buccaneers an additional $19 million in cap room, allowing them to sign Barrett, a key piece of their defense that helped them win their first Super Bowl title since 2002.
During his interview on ESPN Radio’s KJZ Hour, Barrett emphasized the value of Brady’s leadership on the Buccaneers and how he helped them buy-in on his winning mentality. “It’s amazing to have TB on the squad. Man, he’s a terrific leader on the field and off the field,” said Barrett, per transcription of the show’s YouTube video.
Barrett also said that Brady is engaging with everybody and just like normal day-to-day conversation. “It just felt good to have that type of leadership where guys was actually starting to buy in and they see him doing it and just make it easier for everybody else to do it because he has been a multi-time champion,” he added. The edge rusher said Brady knows what it takes to win and what needs to be done and they simply followed his lead.
Barrett still remembered the first time he met Brady, saying the energy the quarterback brought instantly coming in and sitting In with the team. “Everybody who’s on the team who interacted with Tom has something amazing to say about him and it’s just been amazing to have his leadership on the team,” he said.
Barrett says nobody beats Bucs’ offer
During a separate interview on the Dan Patrick Show, Barrett revealed that no team beat the Buccaneers’ offer, although he said he had no intention of playing elsewhere, per Luke Easterling of USA Today. "It was pretty much Tampa, Tampa, and Tampa. I didn't want to go anywhere else,” said Barrett, who was given the franchise tag by the Buccaneers last season.
Two years ago, Barrett signed a one-year deal with the Buccaneers worth just around $4 million and led the NFL in sacks with 19.5.
Bills pursued Gronkowski
Before signing a one-year deal worth $10 million with the Buccaneers, tight end Rob Gronkowski received a similar offer from the Buffalo Bills, his hometown team, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported. Florio, citing information from Mike Silver of NFL Media, the Bills tried to lure out the veteran tight end out of Tampa Bay, but Gronkowski ultimately decided to stick with the Buccaneers and go for another Super Bowl ring.
