Tom Brady has announced what he will do in 2021

The Buccaneers still need to be on the lookout for their quarterback of the future, but Tom Brady will lead the Tampa Bay offense again in 2021. 

Fans in Tampa Bay concerned that Tom Brady’s tenure with the Buccaneers would only last one season can rest easier. The future Hall-of-Fame quarterback will return for at least one more season with the franchise.

The scary thing for the rest of the NFL is that Brady expects his second season in Tampa to go “even better” than his inaugural tour of duty. It’s easy to understand his optimism. COVID-19 cost Brady a ton of time on the practice field that could have helped him grow comfortable with his new offense and teammates. Presumably, his performance will benefit from a more traditional preseason heading into the 2021 campaign.

With Brady’s return assured, the Buccaneers will like their chances to overtake the Saints for the NFC South Division Title. Drew Brees’ retirement leaves New Orleans in a state of transition at the quarterback position. Taysom Hill presents opposing defenses with new challenges, but he’s not going to trigger Sean Payton’s offense with the same level of precision that Brees did.

The Buccaneers front office does face an interesting decision in the offseason pertaining to who might backup Brady in the immediate future. Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin served that purpose in 2020, but neither projects to be Brady’s long-term successor. Tampa Bay must carefully decide whether or not this is the correct offseason to spend a valuable draft pick on obtaining their quarterback of the future.

Nonetheless, Brady’s return slots the Buccaneers into the list of projected playoff teams for next season. Just how far he can take Tampa Bay will largely epend on how his body holds up during his age-44 season. Betting against Brady to make history has historically been a very poor wager.