Tom Brady has a year left on his contract with Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a franchise that just won a Super Bowl with GOAT, but will have to start thinking about the future as a quarterback. Brady is 43 and things can get complicated for Tampa Bay whenever the future Hall of Fame decides to retire.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht apparently may have a possible successor to Brady in mind – a surprising choice, considering the player is already on the list. It seems that Brady’s reserve, Blaine Gabbert, will have great consideration for the work.
“First of all, I love his energy,” said Licht of Gabbert in the Pewter Report podcast on Thursday. “I really got close to Blaine this year just for being backstage. He’s a very smart guy, but he’s a guy, my scouts and I talked about it a lot, he’s just a guy that I love to watch playing every day in practice, because he has a cannon. He is also very accurate with his pitches and can actually whistle them through tight windows.
“If he had been forced to play, he played in the Detroit game, but if he had been forced to play more I think he would have really opened a lot of people’s eyes on how talented he is, especially for being on the same system for two years.”
When asked if Gabbert is an option to be the Bucs holder whenever Brady decides to move on, Licht said: “I will not rule out anything now.”
Gabbert has been with the Buccaneers since Bruce Arians was hired as head coach in 2019, having two years of experience in the system. Since failing with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being selected with overall number 10, Gabbert has jumped around the league as a reserve defender with the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans before arriving in Tampa Bay. Gabbert has actually spent the season 2017 with Arians in Arizona, starting five games.
Gabbert, 31, completed 56.2% of the passing attempts launched in his career for 9,206 yards, with 50 touchdowns for 47 interceptions and a passer rating of 72.3 (record 13-35 as a starter). Gabbert played most of the second half in a decisive Week 16 victory over the Detroit Lions last season, going 9 from 15 to 143 yards and two touchdowns (ranking 131.4).
For Buccaneers to retain the core of their league squad in the long run, they will have to consider a friendly contract option as a quarterback. Gabbert may have his chance to keep his job for the first year without Brady – when it is.