Tom Brady plans to play at least one more year in Tampa Bay, and based on his Super Bowl week commentary, maybe longer. One day – presumably this decade – however, the Buccaneers will have to name a successor to the greatest quarter of all time.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht believes Blaine Gabbert, Brady’s backup in 2020, could possibly be a candidate to eventually take over for TB12.
“In the first place, I like his energy,” Licht said via Taylor Jenkins of Pewter Report. “I got really close to Blaine this year, but only on the sidelines. He’s a really smart guy, but he’s one man, my scouts and I talk a lot about this. He’s just one man I’d like to see every day. in practice because he has a cannon.He is also very accurate with his throw and he can only whistle it in strict windows.If he was forced to play, he played in the Detroit game, but if he was forced to play more, I think he would have really opened many people’s eyes to how talented he is, especially since he was in the same system for a few years. ‘
The 31-year-old Gabbert missed the entire 2019 season in Tampa after a shoulder injury before the season. He appeared in four games and completed 9-of-16 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Unfinished except one was the 40-point victory over Detroit in Week 16.
The former overall no. 10 of the Jacksonville Jaguars have started no more than a handful of games in a season with San Francisco since 2015. He last started ten games with the Jags in 2012 before being replaced and eventually becoming a travel agent.
With Brady’s return and the BOK’s record for staying healthy, it’s obviously not at the forefront in Tampa. The main goal in 2021 is to repeat as Super Bowl champions. But Licht will remain open-minded about Gabbert’s chances of being a successor.
“I’m not going to rule anything out now,” Licht said.
These are exactly the words the GM of the Super Bowl champions should say about a backup QB who will be a free agent. The Bucs probably want Gabbert back, and the possibility of eventually succeeding Brady could be enough to get the veteran back relatively cheaply.
For now, the ultimate successor to Brady is merely hypothetical. Light will be correct to consider each way before finally making the decision. But that’s for another day.