The Buccaneers are leaving the door open for Tom Brady if the legendary quarterback changes his mind on retirement, and sources say he will do whatever is necessary to make a comeback — a possibility Brady himself hasn't completely ruled out. are doing.
Should he remain retired, Bucs has shifted his focus to other experienced QBs who may be available through the trade. Sources say they are doing extensive homework on Texans quarterback Deshan Watson and are one of several teams to explore a potential trade for Russell Wilson, although the Seahawks have given no indication that they will be tackling him.
Brady, 44, announced his retirement on February 1, but said on his SiriusXM podcast on Monday that he would "never say no" over the prospect of playing again. While people close to Brady see the possibility of this happening as remote, the Books have made it clear to Brady that they would be willing to do so, as they had originally recruited him in Tampa two years earlier.
The Bucks paid Brady more than $44 million in 2021 as part of a contract that was renegotiated after his Super Bowl win last February. He's on the books for about $10.4 million in 2022, but he was always a placeholder that would be redone once Brady committed to another year.
Barring Brady's return, the Books' options include: veteran backup Blaine Gabert, who is set to become a free agent in March; Last year's second-round draft pick, Kyle Trusk, is what they high; Signing a vet to free agency, such as Tampa's former No. 1 overall pick Jamis Winston; Or there is a big swing in the trading market. Given that the Bucs are now made to win and hit it big with their last big swing on Brady, aggressively pursuing another big-name QB makes sense.
Watson, 26, did not play last season amid a trade solicitation and more than 20 allegations of sexual misconduct, which are currently the subject of civil lawsuits, a police investigation and an NFL investigation. Watson has denied wrongdoing. The three-time Pro Bowl selection has made it clear that he will not play for the Texans again, and sources say Houston continues to target a trade before the league year begins on March 16.
Wilson, 33, reiterated in a SiriusXM interview on Friday that her "hope and goal is to be back (in Seattle) and keep winning there" and that her relationship is closer than ever with Pete Carroll, who is a regular with Wilson. let's talk. However, this will not stop the teams from making inquiries, as they did a year ago.