The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are about to find out what the New England Patriots discovered the past few seasons: It is hard to replace a legend at quarterback.
With Tom Brady dropping his retirement notice via social media, the Buccaneers are suddenly facing life without a quarterback in a quarterback-driven league. Moreover, the franchise is hunting for a QB1 after being spoiled by a seven-time Super Bowl winner with off-the-charts intangibles and football character.
Brady is the epitome of a franchise quarterback, with the work ethic, competitiveness, and leadership skills to elevate the cast around him. In addition, he is a clutch performer who defied the odds as a forty-something, flourishing as a player in the twilight of his career.
Considering the talent and experience departing the locker room with Brady hanging up his cleats, the replacement quarterback for the Buccaneers will need to be a superhero to fill the void. Although the team will not be able to visit the Justice League to find their next QB1, the team will need to explore the trade market, free agent landscape, and the draft to identify the franchise quarterback of the future.
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As a member of the Kansas City Chiefs in the late 1990s after the Joe Montana era, I watched Elvis Grbac wilt under the pressure of playing in a legend’s shadow. Despite leading the team to a pair of playoff berths and earning Pro Bowl honors during his four-year run with the Chiefs, the successor struggled stepping into the footprints left by a legend.
From playing at a championship level to leading the team with the confidence born from winning a series of big games throughout his career, Grbac could not inspire the team like his predecessor. And it was not fair to expect the newcomer to perform or lead like a gold jacket player when he stepped into the lineup.
For the Buccaneers, head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht must identify the quarterback with the football character (work ethic, intelligence, confidence, and leadership skills) and game to replace a legend. Moreover, the new quarterback must possess the toughness and temperament to handle the constant comparisons that accompany the QB1 spot.
‘Far and away the greatest football player’
Skip Bayless has high praise for newly retired Tom Brady.
Given the championship bar that Brady has established, the next quarterback must understand that it is “Super Bowl or bust” in Tampa. And anything short of that accomplishment will be considered a failure by a fan base who spent the past two years watching “The G.O.A.T” in action.
With those expectations hovering over the franchise, the team has to find the right guy to take the reins from Brady. Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask have been on the roster and watched the master work his magic, but neither player seems like a viable option for a team who needs a quarterback who is capable of competing with the young generation of five-stars at the position.
From Patrick Mahomes to Joe Burrow to Josh Allen and Justin Herbert, the quarterback vying for a Super Bowl must be able to go toe-to-toe with the league’s premier gunslingers to have a chance to claim a ring. To earn a Super Bowl invitation, the Buccaneers’ new QB1 must be able to knock off Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, Kyler Murray, and Daniel Jones on the way to the ‘ship. That list does not include Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff, or Geno Smith, who are also worthy competitors as leaders of playoff-caliber teams.
The reason Brady decided to retire
After Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL, Colin Cowherd explains why he believes winning led to Brady retire.
While the free agent and trade markets could make Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr intriguing options, each player possesses a fatal flaw (Garoppolo’s injuries and Carr’s big game performance) that could prevent them from elevating the Buccaneers as title contenders. That said, Garoppolo and Carr have played winning football and are the best options on the market this offseason.
The 2023 draft lacks star power at the position, with Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis viewed as developmental types at this stage of their careers. Although each player has the potential to flourish in the right environment, there are questions about whether they possess the requisite traits to emerge as franchisee players as pros. The uncertainty about the trio and the rest of the 2023 quarterback class could prompt the Buccaneers to opt for a “bridge” quarterback while they wait on the quarterback-rich 2024 class that could feature USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye as franchise prospects.
As the NFL evolves into a league that features mobile playmakers at quarterback like the ones who dominate on Fridays (high school) and Saturdays (college), the Buccaneers will need to do whatever it takes to be in a position to land a five-star quarterback in the draft who possesses the arm talent and athleticism to terrorize opponents as a dual-threat playmaker.
With Brady walking away from the game amid a coaching makeover, the Buccaneers will need to spend this offseason finding a “bridge” quarterback to steer the ship until they can find a franchise player in the 2024 or 2025 class.
Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He regularly appears on “Speak For Yourself” and also breaks down the game for NFL Network and as a cohost of the “Moving the Sticks” podcast. Follow him on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.
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