Quarterback Tom Brady is entering his third season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the last year of his contract with the team. But if Buccaneer's general manager Jason Licht had his way, he wants more years with Brady under center for the team. "It's been an awesome two years, and now hopefully it's an awesome three-plus years, if not more than three, with him," Licht said during an interview on Sirius XM NFL.
Licht earlier said he would deal with Brady's contract extension when the right time comes as the team is currently focused on keeping some of its key players.
After Brady announced his return, the Buccaneers signed wide receiver Chris Godwin, running back Leonard Fournette, cornerback Carlton Davis, center Ryan Jensen, and defensive lineman William Gholston.
After 20 years with the New England Patriots, Brady signed a two-year deal worth $50 million with the Buccaneers. He immediately impacted Tampa as he led the Buccaneers to their first Super Bowl title since 2002 via a 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
Brady then signed a one-year contract extension with the squad to address salary cap issues and help the team bring back some of its key players. However, the Buccaneers failed to defend the Lombardi Trophy last season after losing to the eventual Super Bowl LVI champion Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round.
Days after the loss, Brady announced his retirement, but he decided to return for his 23rd season after just 41 days. Despite his age, the 44-year-old Brady remains in excellent shape as he led the league in passing yards, touchdowns, and completions.
Who would be Brady's backup?
After serving as Brady's backup last season, Blaine Gabbert was tabbed as a possible starter for the Buccaneers during Brady's brief retirement.
Now that Brady has returned, many expect the Buccaneers to bring him back for another tour of duty as a backup. But the Buccaneers have yet to sign Gabbert, leaving the team with only Kyle Trask as the only other quarterback on its roster.
When asked about their backup situation, Licht told SiriusXM that the team might look for another veteran quarterback on the market as Brady's backup, per JoeBucsFan.com.
When asked about the possibility of trading for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, Licht said he would not talk about any player who is not on his team. With this, the Buccaneers could bring back Gabbert or make Trask as Brady's backup.
Gholston stays with the Buccaneers
According to USA Today, Gholston will return for his 10th season with the Buccaneers after signing a one-year deal. Gholston became one of the longest-tenured players on the Buccaneers' roster with his return. Last season, Gholston emerged as one of the key defensive pieces under defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, recording a career-high 4.5 sacks.
