Tom Brady isn’t even officially a Buccaneer yet, but Tampa Bay already is reaping the benefits of arguably the greatest football player of all time.
The Bucs on Tuesday emerged as the expected landing spot for Brady, who earlier in the day announced his decision to continue his NFL career with a team other than the New England Patriots. Tampa Bay, which went 7-9 last season thanks in large to incredibly inconsistent quarterback play from Jameis Winston, now is being looked at as a legitimate Super Bowl LV contender.
As such, a number of players around the league reportedly are trying to get in on the action. ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday noted how the TB12 effect already is being manifested in Central Florida.
Since word surfaced that Tom Brady is expected to land in Tampa, an unexpected high number of players have reached out to the Buccaneers to let them know they want to join the former Patriots’ QB there, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2020
It’s going to take some time to get accustomed to Brady being a “former Patriots QB.”
So, how high can Brady take the Bucs? At least one NFL analyst believes Tampa Bay could be an “easy” 12-win team in the upcoming season.