With Tom Brady retired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, former teammate Matt Cassel might be onto something.
Cassel, 39, who took over for an injured Brady in 2008 with the New England Patriots, humorously tweeted an offer to the Bucs about stepping in for Brady again. Cassel, a former Pro Bowler, had a 13-year NFL career where he spent time as a starter in New England, Kansas City, and Minnesota.
“Just putting this out there Buccaneers, I’ve never officially retired and did well the last time I stepped in for Tom Brady,” Cassel wrote.
Just putting this out there. @Buccaneers, I’ve never officially retired and did well the last time I stepped in for @TomBrady. 🤷♂️
Cassel took the reins of a loaded Patriots roster and led the team to an 11-5 record in 2008. It won him a starting job with the Kansas City Chiefs the following season, and he appeared in the Pro Bowl for the 2010 season. He last played in 2018 with the Detroit Lions, which consisted of two game appearances.
It seems clear that Cassel is joking, but the Bucs could explore the possibility of bringing in a quarterback who played behind Brady. Former Patriots backup and current San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, 30, has been a source of trade speculation for a whole season. The Bucs became a favorite to land Garoppolo since Brady’s retirement.
Similar to Cassel, Garoppolo backed up Brady for four seasons in New England.
Cassel, Garoppolo Learned From Brady and Succeeded
Both Cassel and Garoppolo started their careers with New England behind Brady, which led to success elsewhere as Brady held down the starting job for two decades.
“As soon as we went on the practice field, that was when you saw the light switch turn on,” Cassel told host Colin Cowherd on “The Herd” on Thursday, February 3. “There was a tremendous attention to detail, he was meticulous about details, and he held everybody accountable, and really raised the level of play for everyone around him.”
Garoppolo likewise witnessed and learned from Brady’s work ethic.
“[Brady] helped me with things off the field and on the field,” Garoppolo said on ESPN’s “Sports Center” in 2018. “Anything I had a question about, for two years there it was just me and him in the meeting room together. How to go about your business, how to be a professional quarterback. And there’s little things that people don’t even realize, just how you carry yourself and he does that better than anybody.”
Garoppolo, like Cassel, did well as a backup in New England when called upon. Garoppolo went 2-0 as a starter with four touchdowns for the Patriots in 2016. It led to getting traded for the 49ers in 2017 where he led the team to a Super Bowl and two NFC Championship Game appearances.
Brady Lineage to Continue?
Garoppolo nor Cassel will ever be mistaken for Brady, but both Patriots backups won as starters after their time in New England.
The Bucs could aid the culture established by Brady by trading for Garoppolo. With the 49ers, Garoppolo has a 31-14 record in five seasons. He credits Brady’s influence for his success.
“It got me to where I’m at today,” Garoppolo told 49ers Talk in 2020 via NBC Sports Bay Area.
If the Bucs don’t go for Garoppolo, finding another quarterback via trade or free agency will likely happen. The Bucs have rookie Kyle Trask and veteran Blaine Gabbert on the roster plus Ryan Griffin on the practice squad.
“We’re going to explore all avenues to try to make the best decision we can for the organization,” Bucs general manager Jason Licht told the media on Tuesday after Brady’s retirement announcement.
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Ex-Patriots QB Sends Message to Buccaneers After Tom Brady’s Retirement