Getty Tom Brady's restructured contract doesn't give the Buccaneers an easy way to keep him in 2023.
Despite all the rumors, Tom Brady will be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB1 for 2022, but the star quarterback will become a free agent next offseason. Rumors about Brady’s future will follow the Bucs throughout the season, and the NFL legend has remained non-committal about what he will do in 2023.
Brady signed a lucrative deal with Fox to become their lead NFL analyst when he retires (for good), but there has not been a timeline revealed for when the quarterback will step into the booth. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer sees the Dolphins and 49ers once again emerging as possible contenders for Brady next offseason if the quarterback does not walk away from football.
“Tom Brady’s Miami non-answer reminded me of something I think not enough people are paying attention to,” Breer wrote on June 13, 2022. “His latest contract with the Buccaneers was, for sure, a cap-savings measure first and foremost. No real years were added to Brady’s deal (four voidable seasons were tacked on for cap accounting purposes), and Brady secured a no-franchise/transition tag provision in the negotiation. That means Brady is free to go wherever he wants next March.
“And after dipping his toe in the retirement water, and pulling it out six weeks later, come this offseason, can anyone be sure he won’t want to make another run at extending his playing career past his 46th birthday? And if he does, could the Dolphins or 49ers be at the point where they’d be willing to do something if their young quarterbacks don’t play to the level they’re hoping? It’s worth at least thinking about, because I don’t think it’s something that’s lost on Brady himself.”
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Brady on Dolphins Rumors: ‘I Had a Lot of Conversations With a Lot of People’
When asked if he considered joining the Dolphins in any capacity, Brady did not deny there was some interest in joining Miami. Brady attempted to deflect the question back to focusing on the upcoming Bucs season. Yet, it is what Brady did not say, the “non-answer” that Breer described, that has some wondering if the quarterback will explore signing with another team next offseason when he will be a free agent.
“Again, I had a lot of conversations with a lot of people, as I’ve had with the last three or four years in my career about different opportunities when I’m done playing football, so,” Brady said during a June 9 press conference. “I kind of made a decision of what I’d like to do, and I’ll get to be in the game of football. And I think for me, the most important thing is where I’m at now and what I hope to do for this team. That’s been my commitment to this team and organization. It’s been so much fun for me to come here two years ago. It’s been almost two and a half years now, and it’s been an incredible part of my football journey.
“And it’s not over, we still got a lot to accomplish, so. I’ve got a long life ahead. There’s a lot of fun things to do ahead. I’m looking forward to what’s ahead in football, but at the same time, none of us are promised much beyond what we have now. And this is the current moment, and I’m really excited about going out there to try to compete and win a championship.”
The Bucs Cannot Use the Franchise Tag on Brady
Typically, teams have leverage in negotiations with quarterbacks as they can use the franchise tag to retain the player for another season if the two parties are unable to agree to a new deal. According to Pro Football Talk, Brady has a no-tag clause in his current contract which gives the quarterback ultimate control over his future. Brady still has one more year remaining on his deal with the Bucs, making a move to another team this offseason challenging.
Unless something changes in the next year, the Buccaneers have a superior roster to the Dolphins, and the move to South Florida only makes sense if Miami offers the star some sort of ownership stake in the team. Given Brady’s new media deal, this is unlikely as it would be a conflict of interest to be both an announcer and owner of an NFL franchise.
San Francisco makes more sense given it is Brady’s hometown team and the Bay Area native grew up rooting for the Niners. The 49ers are poised to go into their first season with Trey Lance as their starting quarterback. San Francisco already passed on Brady once when the superstar was a free agent in 2020 and would they be willing to sit Lance after just one year as the team’s starter?
If Brady does want to play in 2023, the Bucs still make the most football sense for the quarterback. If other factors come into play, the Buccaneers will have no option but to let Brady walk given the team is unable to use the franchise tag next offseason.