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While Tom Brady appears to plan on playing in the NFL for as long as possible, there will one day be a post-Brady world in Tampa.
It could be in two years, three years, or even longer for another quarterback to be called up to be the starter for the Buccaneers. Nonetheless, Buccaneers’ General Manager Jason Licht mentioned a name they already know well as Brady’s potential successor in Tampa when that time comes.
Through Taylor Jenkins of PewterReport.com, Light said Blaine Gabbert could be the man they could turn to, as he impressed them during his last two years in Tampa.
“First of all, I love its energy,” said Light. ‘I got really close to Blaine this year, just on the sidelines. He’s a really smart guy, but he’s a guy my scouts and I talk about this a lot, he’s just a guy that I like to see throw in practice every day because he has a cannon. He’s also very accurate with his throws and he can just really whistle them in tight windows. If he was forced to play he played in Detroit, but if he were forced to play more I think he really would have opened a lot of people’s eyes about how talented he is, especially since he was in the same system for a a few years.”
After signing with Tampa in 2019, Gabbert missed his entire first season with the team due to a dislocated shoulder during the preseason. Gabbert appeared in four games for Tampa this season. He completed 9-of-16 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns in limited relief opportunities in place of Brady.
Gabbert has made a total of 48 starts for four different teams during his 10-year NFL career. He is no longer a regular starter since starting 13 games in two seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in 2015-16.
Since Brady continues to perform and win on his own, he can still play into his fifties. So the question of who will eventually take his place in Tampa probably needs no answer for the time being.