TAMPA, Fla. – NFL icon Tom Brady is officially a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
Welcome to Tampa Bay, @TomBrady. 😏 pic.twitter.com/VJooGYwwiA
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) March 20, 2020
The 6-time Super Bowl champion quarterback posted on Instagram he was excited and hungry to be joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after spending 20 seasons in New England.
The deal is reportedly for 2 years and $50 million, all guaranteed. That also includes another $9 million in incentives - $4.5 million in incentives per year. The contract also prohibits and trades, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Considered by many as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, Bucs fans can now look forward to seeing Brady throw to star wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Brady, who turns 43 in August, has been named the league MVP three times, made the Pro Bowl roster 14 times and set an NFL record with four Super Bowl MVPs.
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Brady’s announcement comes just days after Tampa Bay used the franchise tag on pass rusher Shaquil Barrett. With Brady’s impending arrival and Barrett being franchise tagged, former first-overall-pick Jameis Winston’s days in a Buccaneers uniform appears to be over.
While it’s not realistic to ask quarterback who is turning 43 to match the same number of passing yards that Winston had in the 2019 season (5,109, which was best in the league), Bucs fans can hope that Brady will generate less turnover through the air. In 2019, Winston not only led the NFL in interceptions, 30, but he also became the first quarterback in league history to finish the season with 30 touchdowns (he finished the season with 33) and 30 picks.
"Tom is a proven champion who has achieved greatness on the field because he demands the best out of himself and his teammates," said GM Jason Licht. "I've known Tom since we drafted him in New England 20 years ago and through this process it became very clear that his desire to be a champion burns as strong today as it ever has. He possesses the type of rare natural leadership qualities that will immediately impact our entire organization."