Carolina Panthers: Ranking the NFC South quarterback rooms
By Luke Tucker
No. 2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In what was undoubtedly the most earth-shattering decision of the offseason, longtime Patriots quarterback Tom Brady hit the free-agency market for the first time in his career and elected to sign with Tampa Bay. Head coach Bruce Arians had been non-committal to former starter Jameis Winston for some time now, so it’s not surprising that Tampa decided not to re-sign the 2015 number-one pick.
Brady’s exit from New England became more and more possible as this past season wore on, with analysts citing tension between Brady and Bill Belichick. Still, the decision to go to Tampa came as a shock to many. Since arriving, the Bucs also brought in Rob Gronkowski to pair with their new quarterback. The future Hall of Fame duo will join an already dangerous offense that includes Pro Bowl receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin along with 2020 break-out candidate Ronald Jones.
The revamped Buccaneers offense is no doubt spearheaded by the arrival of Brady, and the anticipation to see this group on the field is through the roof. Despite all the excitement though, Brady isn’t quite what he used to be. The three-time MVP has seen his completion percentage, passing yards, and touchdown totals go down in each of the past three seasons. There’s no denying Brady is a legend in the NFL, but his time as the league’s best quarterback is passed. Even still, you have to respect his accomplishments and abilities, and it’s not out of the question that he can continue to be a winning quarterback in the NFL.
Tampa Bay will bring back backups Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin in 2020 and also currently has undrafted rookie Reid Sinnett on the roster. Of the three, only Gabbert has started a game, posting a measly 13-35 record as a starter. The Buccaneers would certainly be getting a significant downgrade if Brady were to get hurt, so any hope Tampa Bay has of contending this season revolves around the 42-year-old staying healthy.
Overall, the mere presence of Brady is enough to rank the Buccaneers’ quarterback room second in the division. It’s impossible not to acknowledge all he has accomplished in his two decades in the league, and with a loaded offense, there will be plenty of opportunity for success in his new threads. If he were to go down the Bucs would obviously be in trouble; however, the six-time Super Bowl champ hasn’t missed a game due to injury since 2008.