Getty Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians said the team might have to look behind "Door No. 2" at quarterback.
As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers await quarterback Tom Brady’s decision about whether he’ll play in 2022, the team appears willing to consider other options if Brady does, indeed, retire from football.
Head coach Bruce Arians said during his January 24 press conference that the Buccaneers will “do their homework” regarding their quarterback options. Besides Brady, Tampa Bay has veteran Blaine Gabbert and rookie Kyle Trask on the roster.
If that means finding a player not already in the organization, there are some big names the Buccaneers could consider, said CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr.
Kerr suggested in a January 24 post that the Green Bay Packers‘ Aaron Rodgers, 38 could become available if the Packers want to trade him. Rodgers is under contract through the 2022 season. Kerr also wrote that former Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, 28, is available as a free agent.
“There will be options for the Buccaneers via free agency or trade if Brady doesn’t return,” Kerr wrote. “Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers could be available given their current situations with the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers while Jameis Winston is the top free agent available. Winston spent a year with Arians in 2019, throwing for 5,109 yards with 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions before the Buccaneers moved on from him when they had an opportunity to sign Tom Brady in free agency.”
ALL the latest Bucs news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Bucs newsletter here!
Arians Said the Bucs Could Explore ‘Door No. 2’: Signing a Free-Agent QB
The Buccaneers picked Trask, 23, in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. He did not play in any games this season. But Arians did not rule out the possibility of Trask or Gabbert being the starter in 2022 if Brady were to retire.
“I’d be comfortable if it is,” Arians told reporters. “I like what we have.”
However, Arians said, that doesn’t mean the Buccaneers wouldn’t look outside the organization for a solution.
“You never know what’s behind Door No. 2,” Arians said. “We kind of went down that road two years ago and there was Tom Brady, so we’ll have to wait and see.”
What Could the Bucs Give Up In a Trade for Rodgers?
What can the Packers command in a deal for Rodgers? CBS Sports’ Joel Corry, who is a former agent, suggested that the answer lies somewhere between what the Houston Texans have sought in exchange for quarterback Deshaun Watson and what the league has seen in blockbuster trades for players other than quarterbacks.
“The acquisition cost for Rodgers should be less than the reported three first-round picks and two second-round picks the Texans have wanted in exchange for Deshaun Watson, who is 26, given the 12-year age difference between the two players,” Corry wrote on January 27.
“The Packers should be able to get more in return for Rodgers than teams have with Pro Bowl-caliber non-quarterbacks in recent years. For example, the Texans gave up a 2020 first-round pick (26th overall), a 2021 first-round pick (third overall), a 2021 second-round pick (36th overall), safety Johnson Bademosi and offensive tackle Julie’n Daveport in exchange for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills, a 2020 fourth-round pick and a 2021 sixth-round pick in the days leading up to the start of the 2019 season.”
Follow Jonathan Adams (@JonDAdams) on Twitter for all the latest NFL rumors and Buccaneers news!
Comments
Rodgers Trade an Option for Buccaneers if Tom Brady Retires, Analyst Says