Tom Brady retires: Bucs down to two quarterbacks with draft around the corner
Kyle Trask is the only remaining quarterback under contract for next season
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Now that Tom Brady has officially announced his retirement after 22 seasons in the NFL, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be in the market for a quarterback heading into next year.
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Blaine Gabbert #11, Ryan Griffin #4, and Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet with quarterback coach Clyde Christensen during the Buccaneers Mini-Camp at AdventHealth Training Center on June 10, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
During a news conference with reporters, Bucs general manager Jason Licht said that the team has "been preparing" for life without Brady and will "explore all avenues to try to make the best decision that we can for the organization" regarding a successor to arguably the greatest player in league history.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As of Tuesday, the Bucs have two quarterbacks on their roster.
Blaine Gabbert, who joined Tampa Bay in 2019, played college football at Missouri and left for the NFL Draft following his junior year. He was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars and played for the team until 2013. He was the third QB selected that year, behind top pick Cam Newton and Jake Locker. He served as Brady’s backup the past two seasons, which featured a Super Bowl LV title.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Blaine Gabbert #11 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the field before the start of a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Raymond James Stadium on Oct. 4, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Kyle Trask, on the other hand, was drafted by the Bucs in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft after playing college ball at the University of Florida. During his junior season, he led the Gators to an 8-4 record, while throwing for 4,283 yards with 43 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Trask is the only remaining quarterback under contract for next season. The 2020 second-round draft pick out of Florida was inactive for every game this season. Gabbert and Ryan Griffin will be free agents next month.
Licht told reporters that Brady's decision doesn't change the timetable on Trask's growth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sep 19, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) and Blaine Gabbert (11) warm up before the start of the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. (Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports)
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"We’re very excited about the development of Kyle, where he’s come from the last year and what he’s done just being able to sit behind Tom and Blaine, and Ryan as well," Licht said.
The Bucs will have the No. 27 pick in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.