Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady already owns the record for price of football cards after his rookie card was sold for more than $3 million at an auction earlier last year. The said card – a Brady 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket – drew an offer of $2,589.477 but its value increased to more than $3 million after adding the 20 percent buyer’s premium. Dubbed by Lelands as “The Most Important Football Card in the World”, the card was given by Beckett Grading Services an overall grade of 9 and a 10 on the autograph. However, another rare, autographed card from Brady's 2000 rookie NFL season with the New England Patriots hit the auction block and TMZ Sports said it could break the current record.
“The card will be available at MINT25/Lelands ... and don't be surprised if this card sets records!” TMZ Sports said. The card has a photo of Brady in a Patriots away uniform and also features his authentic signature. The back of the card has Brady’s statistics during his college stint at Michigan. Earlier, Brady joked that he will find some cards in his garage after one hit the market for a record price. Brady was drafted 199th overall by the Patriots in the 2000 NFL Draft and helped lead the team to six Super Bowl titles, 16 division titles and 13 AFC championship games. Last season, Brady joined the Buccaneers on a two-year deal worth $50 million and led the team to its first Super Bowl title since 2002 with a 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
Bucs sign Vita Vea to contract extension
The Buccaneers have locked one of their key defensive players, signing defensive tackle Vita Vea to a four-year contract extension worth over $73 million. The new deal will keep Vea, the 12th overall pick in the 2018 Draft, in Tampa Bay through the 2026 season. "Vita Vea has emerged as one of our league's most disruptive interior defensive linemen due to a unique skillset that combines strength and superior athleticism," said Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com.
Licht lauded Vea’s ability both as a run stopper and pass rusher, saying his presence on the defensive front has helped the Buccaneers to be ranked among league leaders in rush defense.
Vea a key cog on defense
Since his arrival, the 6-4, 347-pound Vea has helped the Buccaneers’ defense lead the NFL in rush defense in 2019 and 2020 and is currently ranked third in 2021.
Based on statistics, the Buccaneers have yielded just an average of 3.6 yards per carry to opponents when Vea is on the field and 4.2 yards per carry when he’s not on the field. In his four years with the Buccaneers, Vea has amassed 104 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 31 quarterback hits, 16 tackles for loss, six passes defended and one fumble recovery in 49 games, with 44 starts.
