Getty Tom Brady faces an uncertain future with the Buccaneers.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers would love for the Tom Brady era to continue as the quarterback helped raise the franchise from mediocrity to a perennial Super Bowl contender over the last three seasons. Even with Brady’s struggles in 2022, the legendary signal-caller still represents the best QB1 solution for Tampa, but the challenge is Brady controls his future.
The star’s last contract included a clause where the Bucs cannot use the franchise tag making the quarterback a free agent in March without any restrictions. Tampa Bay would be wise to have contingency plans in place in case Brady either retires or signs elsewhere. ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes 49ers quarterback Trey Lance should be the Bucs’ top option if Brady is not with Tampa Bay in 2023.
“I’ve said this before about other teams, but I’d look into trading for Trey Lance,” Graziano noted on January 17, 2023. “The 49ers might be about to win the Super Bowl with Brock Purdy at quarterback. Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft, is still just 22. Get him healthy, pair him with the right offensive coordinator and reap the benefits of the development work the Niners did with him.”
Lance Was the No. 3 Pick in the 2021 NFL Draft
The Niners could be in the rare position of having multiple quarterbacks the team could trade this offseason. Jimmy Garoppolo will be a free agent and has a no tag clause which prevents San Francisco from trading the signal-caller. Garoppolo is likely heading elsewhere, but the 49ers face a decision on what to do with Lance and Brock Purdy.
If the Niners make a deep playoff run, it will be challenging to return the offense to Lance for 2023. Lance sustained a season-ending ankle injury in September, but the former No. 3 pick of the 2021 draft still holds plenty of upside as the quarterback will be just 23 years old when next season kicks off.
The former North Dakota State standout only started two games this season before sustaining an ankle injury. At 6’4″, 224 pounds, Lance has the size and athleticism to thrive in today’s NFL. Lance has thrown for 797 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 54.9% of his passes in eight appearances over his first two NFL seasons. The playmaking quarterback is also a threat with his legs adding 235 rushing yards and one touchdown during this same span.
Heading Into 2021 NFL Draft, Lance Drew Comparisons to Allen
TREY LANCE ➡️ DEEBO TD 🙌
(via @NFL)
Tampa Bay is projected to be more than $42 million over the cap in 2023 and will take a significant dead cap hit if Brady signs with another team. Lance is one of the few quarterbacks who are potentially available that have a team-friendly contract. Lance still has two seasons remaining on his four-year, $34 million rookie deal.
The quarterback is slated to have a $3.7 million base salary for next season. Heading into the 2021 draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Lance to Bills superstar Josh Allen.
“One-year starter who dazzled in 2019. Lance is mature for his age, but will be just 20 years old at the time of the 2021 NFL Draft,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile on Lance. “He’s a rare dual-threat quarterback in that he’s tasked with setting his own protections and reading the full field. Coaches rave about his football IQ and film work. They believe he will come into the league more football savvy than most of the quarterbacks in this draft.
“Tape shows very average arm strength but velocity should improve with better lower-body drive. While his recognition of coverage danger is a plus, he’s currently more of a ‘yellow light’ quarterback who needs to find a ‘green light’ risk-taking mentality to become a playmaking talent in the NFL. An offensive coordinator willing to blend his run/pass talent with a play-action attack could get the most out of Lance, who should become a good NFL starter.”