Tom Brady is officially a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The former New England Patriots GOAT announced Friday he's signed his contract. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports it is a two-year deal worth $50 million fully guaranteed with up to $4.5 million each year in incentives and includes no-trade and no-tag clauses.
The breakdown of Brady's deal is as follows, per Pelissero: a $10 million roster bonus and $15 million salary each year (fully guaranteed); up to $2.25 million each year tied to top-five finishes in passer rating, touchdowns, yards, completion percentages and yards per pass; and up to $2.25 million each year tied to playoff appearances, playoffs and play-time, Super Bowl and play-time. Brady can earn up to $59 million on the two-year deal.
"Excited, humble and hungry," Brady wrote on Instagram, "...if there is one thing I have learned about football, it's that nobody cares what you did last year or the year before that...you earn the trust and respect of those around through your commitment every single day. I'm starting a new football journey and thankful for the (Buccaneers) for giving me an opportunity to do what I love to do. I look forward to meeting all my new teammates and coaches and proving to them that they can believe and trust in me...I have always believed that well done is better than well said, so I'm gonna not gonna say much more -- I'm just gonna get to work! #Year1"
The signing has been expected for days, after Brady said goodbye Tuesday to the New England Patriots, the team he won six Super Bowls with over 20 years.
The confirmation comes after a lengthy process, which included a two-day physical, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, due to the NFL's current restriction on medical checkups due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
It will be bizarre to see TB12 in anything but a Patriots jersey after he led the greatest dynasty in modern sports.
Switching from the AFC to the NFC, Brady joins a Bucs roster ready to compete for a Lombardi Trophy right away. His weapons in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, provide the quarterback the best receiver duo the signal-caller has had in years.
Going from coach Bill Belichick to Bruce Arians will be a whole new world for Brady. Arians, who previously coached the likes of Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Carson Palmer, knows Brady will get the most out of the offense.
"Tom is the most successful quarterback in the history of our league, but what makes him so special is his ability to make those around him better," Arians said. "I have had the privilege to work with some of the best passers in our game, and the characteristics they all possessed were the ability to lead and get the best out of their teammates. Tom is no different. He is a proven winner who will provide the leadership, accountability and work ethic necessary to lead us to our goal of winning another championship."
Entering his age-43 season, Brady brings a fresh beginning to the Bucs, who employed turnover-prone Jameis Winston the past five years. Brady is the opposite of Winston, abhorring turnovers at all costs. While his play might have dropped off, he can still deftly maneuver the pocket, win before the snap and hit targets with pinpoint accuracy. Much of the Patriots' offensive struggles last season were in part due to the lack of weaponry. Brady should find no such problems with the Buccaneers.
To say the hype in Tampa is already off the chain would be an understatement.
The headline on the team's official website announcing the signing read: "All in! Tom Brady, Bucs team up to pursue championships."
Championships. Plural.
