The Bucs’ 2023 offseason plans were bound to be determined by whatever decision Tom Brady makes about his future. Will the 45-year-old future Pro Football Hall of Famer return to Tampa for another season? Will he play elsewhere? Is a true retirement in play this offseason after his short-lived hiatus last offseason? Don’t ask Brady himself, as he put it very plainly to Jim Gray on his Let’s Go! podcast earlier this week.

“Jim, if I knew I was gonna f***ing do, I’d have already f***ing done it. Okay?” Brady said in a slightly joking manner. “I’m taking it a day at a time.”

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

So, for all of the speculation that Brady has already said his goodbyes to Tampa, he’s interested in joining the Raiders or he’s set to become a Miami Dolphin, there’s nothing to any of that yet. Brady is taking time away before coming to a decision on what the future holds for him. And because he hasn’t decided anything, a return to the Bucs can’t be ruled out.

That’s why head coach Todd Bowles and the Bucs are approaching their offensive coordinator search with “the Brady effect” still in mind. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday that he’s been told the interviewees for the team’s vacant offensive coordinator position are being asked what their plan would be if Brady is back in red and pewter for the 2024 season.

It makes sense, of course, as the Bucs will try to lure Brady back for their 24th season. If they’re successful, they need their new offensive coordinator to be prepared for the task of working with the seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback. They don’t have much of a backup plan as it stands, considering 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask is the only quarterback signed to the roster for next season.

At the same time, Bowles and the Bucs are still bound to be conducting their search fully knowing that even if they do have Brady under center in 2023, he won’t be signing a long-term contract. So, there’s a balance they’ll have to strike with Byron Leftwich’s successor. Tampa Bay has interviewed Broncos passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak and is expected to interview Jaguars passing game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and Vikings receivers coach Keenan McCardell, a former Bucs receiver on the 2002 Super Bowl team.

Will Familiarity Bring Brady Back To Bucs If He Plays In 2023?

Bucs QB Tom Brady and OC Byron Leftwich – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

No one can truly know what Brady will decide to do this offseason, especially if Brady doesn’t even know himself. But if he does choose to play an age-46 season, might the familiarity he has with those in the Bucs’ facility keep him in Tampa? Of course, he’ll no longer have Leftwich as his offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen retired.

But Brady likes Bowles, has a strong relationship with general manager Jason Licht and certainly has plenty of bonds with those he’s played with over the last three seasons. Is that enough to pique his interest for a fourth season in the Bay?

Brady will understandably want to see who the Bucs bring in as their new offensive coordinator. It’s unlikely that the team hires someone based solely on the basis that they have a preexisting relationship with Brady, but whoever the eventual hire is will surely play a role in the quarterback’s decision one way or the other.

If Brady doesn’t retire, he’s almost certain to face the prospect of learning a new offense wherever he ends up. The exceptions may be Las Vegas, where his former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is the head coach, and New England, where another one of his former offensive coordinators, Bill O’Brien, was just re-hired. But there are obstacles that may prevent either of those teams being true options for Brady. For starters, Vegas is multiple time zones away from his children, while a reunion with the Patriots may be awkward. Until further notice, though, it’s all speculation regarding the former MVP’s future.

Despite running a different offense with a new offensive coordinator, the Bucs do have the familiarity factor in their favor with Brady. He knows his offensive linemen and has a developed rapport with star wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Whether that will be enough isn’t clear, but at least the Bucs are still going about their coordinator search with Brady in mind.