Buccaneers Reportedly Have Interest In Prominent Quarterback
MUNICH, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 13: A general view of the inside of the stadium in the third quarter during the NFL match between Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Allianz Arena on November 13, 2022 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could pursue replacing Tom Brady with his former backup.
Brady's retirement leaves Tampa Bay with Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask. The Buccaneers will likely seek a new quarterback elsewhere to avoid a full rebuild.
Mike Garafolo reported on NFL Network's NFL GameDay Morning that the Buccaneers aim to "retool while still competing." They'll explore the free-agent market for a veteran quarterback.
They like Brady's former New England Patriots teammate, Jimmy Garoppolo.
However, Garafolo noted the financial roadblocks to signing Garoppolo. Tampa Bay is currently about $55 million over the cap, including a $35 million hit on Brady the team plans to absorb next season.
Expected to join a new team last year, Garoppolo stayed with the San Francisco 49ers when shoulder surgery hindered trade interest. That worked out for both parties when he replaced an injured Trey Lance in Week 2.
Garoppolo posted a 103.0 quarterback rating in 11 games (eight 49ers wins) before suffering a broken foot in Week 13. In his place, rookie Brock Purdy led the team to the NFC Championship Game.
Kyle Shanahan has made it clear Garoppolo won't return to San Francisco again. That could make him the top free-agent quarterback to sign elsewhere, as Lamar Jackson, Daniel Jones, and Geno Smith are all candidates for an extension or franchise tag.
While the Buccaneers won the NFC South behind Brady, they went 8-9 with a minus-45 point differential. The division could remain vulnerable enough to compete in 2023 behind a quality quarterback such as Garoppolo, but the cap situation threatens to hinder the organization's contention hopes.
