TAMPA – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered free agency with the expectation of signing Tom Brady, but they also plan to bolster a defense that will be key to helping the six-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback be successful with his new team.
There’s still no official announcement of Brady’s arrival at the Bucs after 20 seasons with the New England Patriots. However, there has already been an increase in demand for tickets.
Tampa Bay ranked 30th out of 32 teams in number of fans at its stadium, averaging 51,898 people per game last season.
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The most successful quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, comes to the team with the second longest drought in the playoffs. AP Photo
Within hours of the report coming out that the team was close to a deal with Brady, the 2020 ticketing site had a wait of 2,400 people looking to make a purchase.
Brady ended a historic stage with New England. He announced Tuesday on social media that he would become a free agent for the first time in his career.
With enough pay space, a lineup that includes a pair of catchers who contributed more than 1,000 yards and a coach who has good numbers with prominent quarterbacks, the Bucs took the opportunity to be relevant for the first time in more than a decade.
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They finished 7-9 last season and missed the postseason for the twelfth year in a row, the second-longest playoff drought in the NFL behind the Cleveland Browns. They haven’t won a postseason game since winning the Super Bowl in the 2002 season.
Signing Brady would not only fill seats at Raymond James Stadium and make the Bucs playoff contenders immediately, it also increases the likelihood that Tampa Bay will become the first team to win the Super Bowl at home.
Next season’s championship match will be in Tampa.
Brady won 17 divisional titles and had nine Super Bowl appearances – winning six – with the Patriots. He was awarded four times as the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, chosen 14 times for the Pro Bowl and named three times MVP of the regular season. In addition, he has started in 41 postseason duels.
The Bucs have played 15 postseason games in 44 years of history, none since 2007.
Head coach Bruce Arians spearheaded attempts to sign Brady with the Bucs. He also worked with Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Andrew Luck, and Carson Palmer.
While insisting he still believes Tampa Bay can win with Jameis Winston as the starting quarterback, Arians reiterated last month that he wanted to see what was available in what he called a “second door” in free agency.
Turned out to be Tom Brady.
