Newly appointed “Senior Football Consultant” Bruce Arians dropped in to the “Wolf and Luke Show” on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. Bruce was asked during the interview why he waited so long into the offseason to make his decision to step down as Head Coach. Arians’ answer indicated he was waiting on Tom Brady to make a final decision on his future.

“I was waiting for Tom,” Arians said. “And to see what he was going to do. Once he came back it was a no-brainer. Todd’s in great shape. The organization is in great shape. I probably wouldn’t have done it if Tom hadn’t un-retired. Tom un-retired.”

Putting the Pieces Together

Arians has previously said that he started to think about stepping down as head coach around the time of the NFL Combine. It was during the Combine that general manager Jason Licht said they would “leave a light on” for Brady. Arians has also previously stated that Brady’s return was the catalyst that ultimately helped him go through with the decision to retire.

But the comments above are the first we have heard Arians speak of the situation in fluid terms. Arians’ wording “waiting on Tom” insinuates that the conversations he, Licht, and the rest of the organization were having with Brady were centered around the quarterback not being fully committed to retirement.

Bucs QB Tom Brady and head coach Bruce Arians – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Based on these public comments, we can infer it was around this time that Brady started indicating to the team that he might be back. The GOAT announced his retirement on February 1st. The Combine occurred between March 1st and March 7th. It would seem that Brady started to get “the itch” to return just one month after making his initial decision. It would also seem he kept the Bucs in the loop the entire time about his uncertainty.

Ultimately, Arians felt comfortable giving the reins to new head coach Todd Bowles because the roster is ready-made for a deep playoff run this year. Especially with Brady at the helm once more. As the news sets in, it seems we are starting to see more details emerge about how the process unfolded. And no, Mike Florio, it wasn’t because Tom Brady pushed Bruce Arians out.