The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are considered a favorite to land an all-time great quarterback.
According to betting odds from BetOnline, the Buccaneers are the seventh-most favored team to land Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (if he departs Green Bay). Tampa Bay has +1000 odds to land the four-time MVP quarterback, with the Indianapolis Colts considered the favorites at +350 odds. Among NFC teams, the Washington Commanders (+400), Detroit Lions (+500), New Orleans Saints (+550) and Carolina Panthers (+650) rank above the Buccaneers.
The possibility of adding Rodgers entirely depends upon the future of Tom Brady. If Brady chooses to return and play another year with the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay has no reason to pursue the 39-year-old Packers quarterback. However, if Brady does decide to retire, the Buccaneers are suddenly lacking a franchise quarterback.
Why Rodgers Could Fill Brady’s Void
There’s little doubt that Rodgers could step in and pick up where Brady is leaving off considering he still ranks as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Coming off of his fourth MVP campaign in 2021, Rodgers is still fifth in the league in touchdown
passes despite a young supporting cast of wide receivers.
In fact, Rodgers’ 76.9 offensive grade is about on par with Brady’s 78.5 offensive grade, according to Pro Football Focus. The Buccaneers feature three former Pro Bowl receivers as their top three weapons, while the Packers’ top three wide receivers — Christian Watson, Allen Lazard and Romeo Doubs — feature two rookies.
Why the Bucs Would Hesitate on Trading for Rodgers
While the fit isn’t so much of a concern considering Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl-ready roster, what is a concern is Rodgers’ salary cap numbers. The veteran quarterback earns an average annual cap figure of $50 million. The Buccaneers are already facing severe salary cap issues entering the 2023 season, being more than $40 million in the negatives as far as cap space.
Assuming Brady retires rather than depart for another NFL team, this would be beneficial for Tampa Bay’s salary cap, as Greg Auman of The Athletic previously noted back in November.
“The Bucs’ creative cap work on Brady’s current contract means he counts $35 million in dead money in 2023, even though he’s not under contract,” says Auman. “If he simply retires, the Bucs can process that move in such a way to push some of the cap burden to 2024, but if he signs elsewhere, the full $35 million would count against the Bucs’ cap next season.”
The Buccaneers could save money as they can push some of the cap burden to the 2024 payroll. With that being said, Rodgers’ contract is still a very big one, especially considering he’s nearly 40 years old.
If there’s one bright spot to Rodgers’ contract is that his cap is only a shade under $32 million for the 2023 season. There’s a possible out in the contract in 2024, but that would still cost the Buccaneers over $24 million in dead cap space. In other words, they’d have to worry about money owed to both Rodgers and Brady.
The idea of replacing Brady with a quarterback of a similar stature looks good on paper. However, when diving into the financial figures and factoring in Rodgers’ age, it makes little sense for the Buccaneers to pursue another old veteran quarterback.
Comments
Buccaneers Considered a Favorite to Land $50 Million QB