Jason Licht: No Regrets About Signing Tom Brady
The Bucs are in a bad spot heading into 2023. Tampa Bay is forced to carry a whopping $35.1 million salary cap hit for Tom Brady even after he retired. The Bucs entered the offseason in cap hell and were hamstrung on adding any additional free agents. If you ask Jason Licht about where the Bucs stand, he will tell you he has no regrets and has a pretty good reason to feel that way.
“If I go back in time I would do it all again. We pushed, we borrowed about $100 million against this year’s cap and future cap to do what we did, Licht said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “Came close the second time but you know if anybody wants to criticize what they did, they can come to any of our three homes and look at our ring. . . . We’re gonna pursue another one too.”
He’s right. The Bucs won a Super Bowl. That’s something that the instate Jacksonville Jaguars can never say. Brady could carry a $70 million cap hit and Licht should say the same thing. Banners hang forever.
Also, it’s not like the Bucs are in the worst spot in the world. Jamel Dean stayed put. So did iconic linebacker Levonte David. They also had enough money to bring in Baker Mayfield as a one year stop gap. The NFC South is so bad that it might be enough to win the division. Even if it’s not, then you’re hopefully in the Caleb Williams sweepstakes. Kyle Trask may also get a look at some point this year as well.
