When the Bucs’ offseason began after their 31-14 Wild Card loss to the Cowboys, all attention turned to the future of quarterback Tom Brady. Would he retire? Would he come back to Tampa Bay for another year? Might he go elsewhere? The 45-year-old quarterback said he was set to take some time away before making a decision.

On Wednesday, the first day of February, Brady announced his retirement after 23 seasons in the NFL.

“Good morning, guys. I’ll get to the point right away. I’m retiring… For good,” Brady said. “I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first. It won’t be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year. So, really thank you guys so much to every single one of you for supporting me. My family, my friends, my teammates, my competitors… I could go on forever. There’s too many. Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing. Love you all.”

Brady briefly retired last offseason, calling it quits after 22 seasons. But 40 days later, he announced that he would be returning to the NFL for a 23rd season. It was a tumultuous one for him and the Bucs, as they struggled to an 8-9 record and a first-round playoff loss. Even still, Brady threw for 4,694 yards and 25 touchdowns to nine interceptions as Tampa Bay repeated as NFC South champions.

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

Over his three years with the Bucs, he led them to a Super Bowl victory and two division titles. And despite playing just three seasons with the team, he is near the top of every one of the franchise’s passing lists. He finishes third in passing yards (14,643), second in passing touchdowns (108), second in completions (1,376) and third in passing attempts (2,062). His 32 wins are the third-most of any Bucs quarterback as well.

Of course, Brady’s overall career was even more impressive. He spent 20 seasons with the Patriots and three with the Bucs, totaling 89,214 passing yards, 649 touchdowns, 12,050 passing attempts and 7,753 passing attempts. All of those are NFL records. He won seven Super Bowls, five Super Bowl MVPs and made 15 Pro Bowls.

What’s Next For The Bucs?

Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Brady has long said he would retire at the age of 45, and it turns out that came to fruition. The Bucs will now be in search of a new starting quarterback this offseason, with 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask currently being the only signal-caller under contract for the 2023 season. They could choose to look at the free agency market, though it’s not the best this year. Lamar Jackson is likely to stick with the Ravens, and other available quarterbacks are Baker Mayfield, Jimmy Garoppolo, Geno Smith, Daniel Jones and Taylor Heinicke. Blaine Gabbert, who has backed up Brady since 2020, is also a free agent.

Tampa Bay could look to the trade market as well, especially if it’s looking for a more proven quarterback. Las Vegas is set to part ways with Derek Carr, and Aaron Rodgers’ future in Green Bay remains uncertain. Then, of course, there’s always the NFL Draft. Rookie quarterbacks can sometimes be coach killers, though, and Todd Bowles experienced that firsthand during his time with the Jets.

Whatever route the Bucs go, it’s obviously going to be a tall task for the team’s next signal-caller to replace Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time. Tampa Bay also has 23 pending free agents, so as much as Bowles insists on the idea that you never rebuild and always reload, the Bucs look a lot like a rebuilding team at the moment.