Heading into the offseason, the Bucs have a lengthy list of free agents to decide whether to bring back. While wide receiver Chris Godwin is the biggest pending free agent on the offensive side of the ball, one other starter might be testing the waters in left guard Ben Bredeson.

Bredeson started all 17 games there this past season and fared better than you might think. He immediately gelled with the rest of the offensive line and fit right in, taking full control of a starting spot after Sua Opeta – his training camp competition – tore his ACL and was out for the season back in August.

Speaking to Pewter Report at the onset of the offseason, the veteran offensive lineman shared his interest in remaining in Tampa Bay.

Ben Bredeson “Absolutely Loved” Being With Bucs This Past Season

Bucs RB Bucky Irving and LG Ben Bredeson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

After signing a one-year, $3 million deal with the Bucs last offseason, Ben Bredeson found what he was looking for in calling a team home. Coming into the NFL as a fourth-round pick by the Ravens in 2020, he was traded to the Giants in 2021 and spent the next three seasons there, starting in 25 games.

While he showcased his versatility moving across New York’s offensive line during his tenure, he valued the stability of coming to Tampa Bay and honing his skills as a left guard.

“Stability was huge,” Bredeson said. “Being able to focus on one spot, just kind of settle in there. I got comfortable there.”

While Pro Football Focus may have only graded him as the 61st-best offensive guard out of 75, that does not fully tell the story.

Bredeson fared better as a pass-blocker, allowing just three sacks this season. His 36 pressures allowed could have been better, but he was far from being a turnstile at the position and did well connecting on combo blocks. In the run game, he proved agile and strong enough to help open up holes and was a vital cog in the group being among the top-five offensive lines in the league.

Ben Bredeson Enjoyed Playing With Tristan Wirfs And In Tampa

Bucs G Ben Bredeson and C Graham Barton – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs offensive line’s success this past season came down to their chemistry with one another, and there is no denying the rapport that Ben Bredeson built with the guys.

“The O-line room was phenomenal,” Bredeson said. “Great group of guys, just a small part of the representation of the team as a whole. Great culture here and being able to go to work with everybody every single day was awesome.”

Especially All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs.

“It helps a ton,” Bredeson said about whether it helps playing next to a player of Wirfs’ caliber. “Tristan’s an outstanding player. I think we all see that. Being able to work with him makes my job easier and hopefully, I make his job a little bit easier at times. We became great friends and lined up next to each other for however many snaps we had this season. Got a little close there. It was great.”

With that laid out, would he be interested in returning?

Bucs G Ben Bredeson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Bredeson’s starting spot will not be guaranteed, as 2023 sixth-round pick Elijah Klein will likely work his way into the mix even if he re-signs. Who knows, Jason Licht could be tempted to take another small school offensive lineman to compete with him, too.

That is Licht’s specialty.

Still, Bredeson was a value signing at $3 million this year, and while he should make slightly more on a new contract, that does not take him out of the equation. There are still a couple of months to iron out all the details, but he very much enjoyed his time here and was quite receptive when asked whether he would be open to a return.

“Absolutely loved it,” Bredeson said. “We’ll see how everything goes, don’t really get too involved with that right now. Tampa Bay is an awesome spot.”

Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo sees Bredeson fetching a one-year deal worth $4 million in 2025, possibly in Tampa Bay.