NFL Makes Decision on Bucs Uniform Change

The closest Tom Brady will get to wearing a Tampa Bay Buccaneers creamsicle throwback uniform before 2023 is the team’s orange practice jersey due to the NFL’s recent decision.

The NFL announced that teams can wear a second helmet starting in 2022 via a memo. There’s just one catch that delays the Bucs from wearing creamsicle again until 2023 after Brady’s current contract expires.

“Here’s the one fact that most have overlooked: Although teams have until July 31 to adopt a second helmet for 2022, it’s too late to submit to the league a uniform change for 2022,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote. “Thus, unless the Bucs want to wear their Bucco Bruce helmets with one of their red-and-pewter configurations, the old-school helmets won’t be back until the old-school uniforms can return, in 2023.”

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport shared the memo on social media.

Brady will likely have to play beyond his contract extension that runs through the 2022 season to  wear creamsicle. He’s expressed interest in the creamsicle throwbacks, and Bus general manager Jason Licht said he’s welcome to play until age 50 for the team.

That’s not a shoe-in as he has consistently said he plans to play until age 45. He also recently said playing until 50 is “a long time” in an interview with USA Today’s Jori Epstein. Brady will be 46 when the 2023 season kicks off.

“I’m going to be able to obviously play this year and God forbid anything happens but play next year and then see what happens after that,” Brady told Epstein. “If I still want to keep playing, I might be able to do that. And if that’s enough, then that would be enough.”

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Bucs Committed to Bringing Back Creamsicle

Whether or not Brady will get to wear the Bucs’ original look, team leadership has made a clear commitment to bringing back the throwbacks.

“It’s very important to our fan base, as well as the Glazer family and our entire organization,” Bucs chief operating officer Brian Ford said on Thursday before the NFL’s announcement according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Joey Knight. “We love to kind of reminisce and play some ’70s and ’80s music and bring out the big pom-poms and the creamsicle. So it’s not a question of if, it’s just when, and we’ll definitely keep you posted.”

Tampa last wore the throwbacks in 2012 before the NFL implemented the one-helmet rule.

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Brady Wants to Wear Creamsicle

Brady made it known early on in his first season with the Bucs that he wants to wear the team’s old uniforms.

ESPN’s Jenna Laine caught Brady’s Instagram post about the throwback in September 2020. Brady wrote “bring back the creamsicles Buccaneers.”

Brady isn’t alone in that sentiment. Bucs head coach Bruce Arians talked about his interest on the Dan Patrick Show last year. Linebacker Lavonte David wants them back, too, and actually wore them in 2012, he said on Good Morning Football in 2017. David said he can “swag it out” in the throwbacks.

Bucs fans and the organization hope Brady will get to “swag it out” in creamsicles, too, someday.

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