Getty Bruce Arians put the Bucs on notice heading into 2021.
Few defending Super Bowl champions have received as much offseason praise as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers thanks to the front office’s ability to re-sign all 22 starters from the title game. Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians admits his job is to remind the 2021 team that they have not “done crap.”
“We know what it takes to come to work every day,” Arians explained in an interview with the Bucs’ official website. “I think our players know the level of competition at practice every day. I don’t think I’m going to have to say much about it except we’re not anywhere near where we were last year. Just knocking ’em down a peg and making sure this team doesn’t think they’re last year’s team, because last year’s team won the Super Bowl. This team hasn’t done crap.”
Arians had a similar message heading into the offseason, and the Bucs coach has not changed course with training camp around the corner. With the exception of the team’s Wild Card win over Washington, the Buccaneers were underdogs in every playoff game, including the Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. The Bucs enter the upcoming season just behind the Chiefs in the Super Bowl odds at +650, per USA Today.
Arians on Keeping the Bucs Core: ‘The Guys Wanted to Stay, But They’re Not Going to Stay for Free’
Arians went on to praise Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht and the front office staff for their ability to keep the team’s core group together. The Bucs coach emphasized the money had to be right for the players to stay in Tampa, even if their preference was to return.
“The guys wanted to stay, but they’re not going to stay for free,” Arians explained. “You know, they all got paid. They did an unbelievable job of meeting everybody’s needs. They wanted to stay, but they weren’t going to take a hometown discount either. Yeah, it was great watching them [front office] work and do their thing.”
Brady Is Optimistic That He Can Be Even Better in His Second Season with the Bucs
Tom Brady appears to be excited to be entering this season fully healthy. Brady revealed this offseason that he dealt with a knee injury throughout 2020. Even before the Super Bowl, Brady was talking about performing better in 2021.
“As long as I’m playing, I want to improve and get better and I think next year is going to be a lot better than this year,” Brady explained in February. “I feel like I’ll be in a much better place mentally. I’m going to train a lot better. Physically, next year, I’ll be in a better place. I know as soon as this game [Super Bowl] ends we’re on to next season. So, we’ll get ready for this season and then start thinking about next year.”
If anyone knows how to avoid a championship letdown it is Brady. This will mark the seventh time Brady has entered an NFL season as a defending champion. All indications are Arians will be even tougher on Brady and company in 2021 as the team looks to keep its foot on the gas.