The retirement of Bucs head coach Bruce Arians from coaching sent shockwaves throughout the entire NFL on Wednesday night. But one of the people most impacted by the coach’s decision is Bucs quarterback Tom Brady. Although Arians had long-since relinquished control of the offense to Byron Leftwich, the quarterback is still probably the most impacted player when the head coach retires.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday night, Brady acknowledged the loss of Arians as a head coach and leader.

It’s far from a boilerplate statement by Brady, who made it clear Arians was a major factor in his decision to join the Bucs. But Brady’s most noteworthy statement doesn’t have anything to do with the quarterback’s relationship with Arians.

“You are a true NFL legend and pioneer for all the work you have done to make the league more diverse and inclusive.”

For all Arians’ success on the sideline, this will be his lasting legacy. After years of hiring practices and statements that exemplified Arians’ emphasis on diversity and inclusion, his retirement is the greatest example. In his statement, Arians made it clear that he is stepping away from coaching to give defensive coordinator Todd Bowles another opportunity. Only this time, Bowles will have a competent team on his hands. He’ll also be the fourth minority head coaching hire by the Bucs in franchise history. Exactly how Arians would have wanted it.

Arians was 31-18 as a head coach in Tampa Bay. His .633 winning percentage was the highest in team history. He’s the third most-winningest coach in Bucs history behind Jon Gruden (57) and Tony Dungy (54). Arians had a franchise-best 6-1 record in the postseason, including winning Super Bowl LV in 2020. Also, he guided the Bucs to their best winning record, going 13-4 in the 2021 regular season.