The 2020 NFL season might prompt more than just a change of scenery for Tom Brady.
One question immediately flooded the minds of football fans upon Brady joining the Buccaneers: What jersey number will the legendary quarterback wear with his new team?
Brady, of course, donned No. 12 in all of his 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, but the digits currently are occupied in Tampa Bay.
The Bucs’ No. 12 isn’t a run-of-the-mill player, either. Wide receiver Chris Godwin is coming off a stellar 2019 season in which he garnered Pro Bowl honors after catching 86 passes for 1,333 yards with nine touchdowns. Brady hasn’t broached the conversation of handing over the number just yet, but the 24-year-old seems open to it if the quarterback makes the request.
“My phone has been blowing up over the last 24 hours on Twitter, Instagram, phone calls, text messages, people just asking me the same question,” Godwin told Bucs reporter Casey Phillips. “I think it would be very interesting whatever happens. We haven’t talked about it. We talked briefly but haven’t mentioned that at all. Obviously, if he doesn’t want it or if he’s not making a big deal out of it, I’m definitely going to keep it. We’ll see how that goes. I think just out of respect for what he’s done, what he’s accomplished, the career he’s built for himself — you kind of have to lean into that respect, but we’ll see how it goes.”
“He reached out to me saying he was excited to come down and play together.”
➡️: @CGtwelve_ on @TomBrady pic.twitter.com/issO6sJ5dQ
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) March 20, 2020
Given the No. 12 effectively has become synonymous with Brady, who also has a branding interest to maintain his longtime jersey number, we have a feeling he and Godwin will come to an agreement.
But regardless of what number Brady ends up sporting in Tampa Bay, one of the QB’s former Patriots teammates is hoping to get his hands on a new Brady Bucs jersey.
