Buccaneers GM considering Tom Brady extension: 'We'd like to keep this going'
Tom Brady has one season left on his contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Bucs are already thinking about adding a few more years to that.
On "The Rich Eisen Show" on Tuesday, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht revealed that the organization is considering offering Brady an extension to keep him in Tampa for a few more years.
"That's a possibility," Licht said after Eisen asked if a Brady extension was in the cards. "He certainly didn't look like he slowed down any this year. So, that's a possibility. We'll have to see how that goes."
Bucs want to keep rolling with TB12
Licht told Eisen that they already have two of the most important elements in place for Brady to sign an extension: Brady likes the Bucs, and the Bucs like him.
"I talk to Tom often. Probably keep that under wraps, right now. It appears that he really had a good time this year, winning the Super Bowl. Likes our organization, likes our coaches, likes our head coach and ownership. And we certainly love him. Usually when you have those two things going for each other, it’s a match made in heaven, so we’d like to keep this going.”
Offering Brady an extension could also be a strategic move so the team can continue to surround him with top level talent. There are multiple Bucs players headed toward free agency, and Brady's $25 million salary (and $28.375 million salary-cap hit) is significant. An extension would allow the Buccaneers to spread that out a little, which would give them more financial flexibility to sign other players.
Would Brady sign an extension?
Brady, who will be 44 when the 2021 season begins, said that he'd "definitely" consider playing past his age 45 season if he continues to play at his current level. And as Licht said, it didn't look like Brady slowed down this past season.
It seems that Brady has the desire to keep going to 2022 and beyond. Would he sign an extension to stay with the Bucs, possibly until he retires? That's the big unknown. He's been through free agency only once, and he might want to test the waters again. And after spending all those years with the New England Patriots, he may be wary of getting too tied up with another team.
On the other hand, the Buccaneers love him, and appear to be committed to building around him and providing him with the tools he needs to succeed on the field. He has more input and influence with Tampa than he likely ever had with New England, so why mess with a good thing?
Who knows what Brady will do? His mind is a mystery, so we'll just have to wait and see how this plays out.
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