Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said Wednesday that he and coach Bruce Arians would be “euphoric” if they reach an agreement with quarterback Tom Brady to keep him in Tampa beyond his two-year contract, which will end. after the 2021 season.
Said Light Tuesday at “The Rich Eisen Show“that the possibility of signing a Brady extension is a possibility, but he declined to discuss the details of any conversation with Brady’s agent, Don Yee, when asked Wednesday during the Bucs Free Agency’s Zoom conference .
“Bruce and I have a great relationship with Tom and I have a good relationship with his agent,” Licht said. “We thought Tom was playing incredibly well this year, along with the whole team. We’d love for Tom to play here – I can speak for Bruce – I think as long as he wants to play. If that comes to fruition at some point we’d feel euphoric “But I would like to keep these conversations private right now.”
Brady, 43, will earn $ 25 million next season. He had previously said his goal was to play until he was 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 gets a year, the will maintain. has a contract up to 45 years.
A new contract would not only ensure long-term stability in the position, but could help the Bucks ’salary cap situation. They will have less than $ 30 million in space, with a number of high-profile players who will have to re-sign, including Pro Bowl receiver Chris Godwin, inside defender Lavonte David, outside defender Shaq Barrett, the tight end Rob Gronkowski receiver Antonio Brown and runner Leonard Fournette.
While there is uncertainty about whether there will be a low-season program, Arians said he expects Brady to recover from the off-season knee procedure and be ready to practice fully in early summer. If there is no low-season program this year, they could rely on training sessions organized by Brady players, similar to the one he led at the Tampa Berkeley Prep last summer.
“I think you are probably looking [at] somewhere around June, right now, so I’m sorry, “Arians said.” His leadership, he should no longer be able to pull it off. You can stand there and train them. Wherever they meet and train, I hope we have a low season for the younger players. Tom doesn’t need it, but for younger players (first, second and third year players), we’ve missed two years of player development to the point where we are now. We don’t need another one. “
Licht also said he “expects” Ryan Jensen to be center and to throw Donovan Smith left next season. Both are hired, but neither has money guaranteed. With Smith projected to count $ 14.25 million against this year’s salary cap and Jensen $ 10 million, some had questioned whether they would fall victim to the cap. But the Bucs were delighted with their performances during the stretch and in the postseason.
“We love Ryan and Donovan,” Licht said. “They played a key role in our offense: in their protection, in the racing game. Let’s imagine Ryan and Donovan being on that team. We look forward to them, not just imagine them.”