Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said on Wednesday that he and coach Bruce Arians would be “excited” if they could find a deal with full-back Tom Brady to keep him in Tampa outside of his two-year contract, which expires after the 2021 season ends.
Lightly said Tuesday on “The Rich Eisen Show‘It’s a possibility to sign Brady at an extension, but he did not want to discuss the details of any talks with Brady’s agent, Don Yee, on Wednesday during the Bucs combination and free agency Zoom conference.
“Bruce and I both have a good relationship with Tom, and I have a good relationship with his agent,” Licht said. “We thought Tom played incredibly well with the whole team this year. We would like Tom to play here – I can speak for Bruce – I think as long as he wants to keep playing. If it comes to his right. “At some point we would be happy. But I want to keep the conversations private now.”
Brady, 43, will earn $ 25 million next season. He had previously said his goal was to play until the age of 45, but Brady said during Super Bowl week that he would now consider playing beyond 45. Brady will be 44 next season, and if he succeeds a year in his deal, it will keep him. under contract by his 45th birthday.
A new contract will not only ensure more long-term stability in the position, but could also help the Bucs’ salary cap situation. They will have less than $ 30 million in space, with a number of high-profile players to sign again, including Chris Godwin, Pro Bowl receiver, Lavonte David, linebacker Shaq Barrett, tighthead Rob Gronkowski receiver Antonio Brown and Leonard Fournette.
Although there is uncertainty as to whether there will be an off-season program, Arians said he expects Brady to recover from his out-of-knee procedure and be ready to train fully by early summer. If there is no off-season program this year, they could rely on Brady’s player-organized training sessions, similar to what he led at Tampa’s Berkeley Prep this past summer.
‘I think he’s probably watching [at] somewhere around June, now, from what I hear, “Arians said. His leadership – he no longer has to throw it away. He can stand there and coach the s — out of them. Wherever they meet and practice – I hope we have an off-season for the younger players. Tom does not need it, but for the younger players – first-, second- and third-year players – we missed two years of player development with where we are now. We do not have to miss another one. ‘
Licht also said he “expects” center Ryan Jensen and Donovan Smith, left next season, back. Both are under contract, but there is no guaranteed money. While Smith would count $ 14.25 million against the salary cap this year and Jensen $ 10 million, some asked them if it would be a cap victim. But the Bucs were delighted with their performances on the piece and in the post-season.
“We love Ryan and Donovan,” Licht said. “They played a crucial role in our offense – in their protection, in the running game. We see that Ryan and Donovan will both be in this team. We expect them not just to put them in perspective.”