Buccaneers facing stark reality of a future without Tom Brady | Opinion
INDIANAPOLIS — Maybe there’s still a way that Bruce Arians can convince Tom Brady to come out of retirement.
"Let’s play golf," the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach suggested.
Golf, of course, with a wager.
"I beat your ass, you’re coming back," Arians proposed.
Nice try. Appeal to the competitive fire that undoubtedly still burns inside of Brady, one of the NFL’s greatest competitors ever.
Arians, chatting with a small group of media during the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday, sounds like the guy willing to do almost anything to lure Brady back to the Bucs.
Yet he’s also a realist. Despite the recent admission from Brady that he could change his mind and resume his career, Arians realizes that’s a long shot.
Asked if he’d be surprised if Brady reversed his retirement course, the Bucs coach said, "Yeah, because of the reasons he gave when he left."
Brady, 44, took his seven Super Bowl rings into retirement last month and professed that he left the game to spend more time with his family, which includes three children. But he left the door open to a possible return during a recent podcast, maintaining, "never say never."
Bucs general manager Jason Licht repeated his position from the podium on Tuesday, telling reporters, "With Tom Brady, I personally never want to completely close the door. We’ll leave the light on for him."
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Arians won’t hold his breath — though he probably do a back-flip if Brady unretired — that his former quarterback hasn’t completely slammed the door shut on a return. He insisted that he has no inside intel about Brady reconsidering his decision to retire.
"He slammed it shut when he talked to me," Arians said.
What about Brady’s "never say never" remark?
"Like a lot of these guys," Arians said with a sly grin, "he likes to have his name out there."
As it stands now, the buzz keeps on swirling about a man who is still, well, retired. That leaves the Bucs, well, still trying to fill the void after losing the legend.
Perhaps they can swing a deal with the Houston Texans and provide Deshaun Watson with a fresh start. Watson’s legal issues, stemming from the sexual misconduct allegations of 22 women, still cast a cloud over his availability and the possible timing of such. Arians acknowledged that pursuing Watson falls into the category of an "organizational decision," but he is clearly bullish on the talent.
He added that he is "surprised he’s in this position," which might be interpreted as a willingness to give it a shot — with or without a wager on the golf course.
Someone asked if Arians would be wiling to roll with a Jameis Winston reunion. In considering free agents, Winston — Brady’s turnover-plagued predecessor in Tampa — might wind up as the best quarterback on the market. Arians said that he’s "not totally" against the thought of reconnecting with Winston.
"But I don’t think it’s the best thing for him," Arians added.
This upcoming draft likely is not the place for a plug-and-play replacement. There’s no Justin Herbert in the crop, and probably not even a Mac Jones.
Can lightning strike twice? The noise is still ramped up on four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, who might shock the world (or not) and demand a trade from the Green Bay Packers. By the same token, like last year, Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson’s situation bears watching, too.
The Bucs were so fortunate to land Brady for two magical years, which put the franchise back on the NFL relevance map and netted a Super Bowl crown.
The odds of landing Rodgers or Wilson, though, would be rather astronomical.
"It’s harder than my neighbor says," Licht said.
With Brady’s move to Tampa followed by the blockbuster trade last year that sent Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, there may be some who believe that getting a star quarterback is a matter of routine.
As Licht put it, maybe alluding to Rodgers and Wilson, "teams don’t typically want to trade their All-Pro quarterback."
It’s possible that the Bucs already know their potential replacement. At least for now. Blaine Gabbert, Brady’s backup, has spent the past five seasons quarterbacking in Arians’ system. The journeyman previously spent time under Arians in Arizona. Arians gushed about how Gabbert came off the bench and won a couple of games with the Cardinals. He recalled Gabbert’s rookie year with the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars and how impressed he was in seeing him take a blow on the chin from former Pittsburgh Steelers star James Harrison…while hanging in long enough to throw a touchdown pass. Arians also praised Gabbert for his behind-the-scenes support of Brady the past two years.
Was Arians trying to convince his captive audience or himself that Gabbert is a viable option?
Arians knows that Gabbert, who is set to become a free agent, is well-versed in the offense. He also knows the bigger question when it comes to Gabbert.
"Can you functionally do it?" Arians said.
Then again, when Brady gets back into the country, Arians plans to get him on the golf course.
If only he could get him to play himself out of retirement.
Follow Paste BN Sports' Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.