The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be looking for a new starting quarterback following Tom Brady’s retirement.
The 44-year-old quarterback officially confirmed he’s walking away from the game with an Instagram post on Tuesday, February 1. With the departure of Brady, the Bucs will be eager to find a replacement.
As things currently stand, Tampa Bay has journeyman veteran Blaine Gabbert and the 23-year-old Kyle Trask on the roster. It’s safe to assume the Buccaneers will pursue another veteran quarterback to enter the 2022 as the team’s starter.
One of the leading candidates to replace Brady appears to be his former backup Jimmy Garoppolo. The San Francisco 49ers are expected to trade their starting quarterback as they move into a new era with Trey Lance, who was selected with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. According to CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, the Buccaneers are one of the “favorites” to land Brady’s former backup quarterback with the New England Patriots.
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Why Bucs Could Make Run at Jimmy G
“With Tom Brady retiring as expected, Bruce Arians is left with a playoff-caliber roster that lacks a starting QB,” wrote Benjamin. “Emphasizing ‘reloading’ rather than rebuilding, he’d surely prefer a proven veteran as a short-term fix. Besides the irony of succeeding his old Patriots counterpart in Tampa, Garoppolo would at least be an upgrade over the middling free agent QBs.”
Not only does the match make sense considering Garoppolo is looking for a new team and the Bucs are looking for a new quarterback, Vegas feels the same way. The betting odds for the Bucs’ new starting quarterback in 2022 fall in Garoppolo’s favor, according to Kevin O’Donnell of Fox 13 in Tampa.
“Vegas odds on Bucs starting QB for 2022 Jimmy Garoppolo 4/1 Carson Wentz 11/2 Teddy Bridgewater 23/4…”
Garoppolo’s Time With 49ers Is Over
During Garoppolo’s end-of-season press conference with the 49ers on Tuesday, February 1, the veteran quarterback seemed to know that the end is near relating to his tenure in San Francisco.
“We’ve talked a little bit, I think more will happen in the days to come but yeah these guys have been very upfront about the whole thing,” Garoppolo said. “Was talking to John (Lynch) yesterday just about finding the right destination and whatever the future holds, just doing it the right way. Got a long career ahead of me so I’m excited about it, excited about the opportunities to come.
“I just want to go to a place where they want to win, that’s really what I’m in this game for. I’m here to play football, I’m here to win football games and as long as I got that and good people around me, I think the rest will take care of itself.”
Garoppolo led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance at the conclusion of the 2019 season and an NFC Championship Game appearance this season. Although the 30-year-old has never been a stellar quarterback — he has never been named to a Pro Bowl — he is a proven winner.
Among current starting quarterbacks in the league, Garoppolo has the third-best winning percentage (.698), behind only Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.
He may not be the ideal option for the Buccaneers, but he may be the best short-term option for a team looking to quickly rebound following the sudden retirement of Brady.
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Buccaneers Considered a Favorite to Land NFC Rival QB