Tom Brady is indeed returning. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting their main man back against all odds – but still have a big personnel puzzle to solve for 2022. Can Brady help?

Munich/Tampa Bay – It took 40 days. Just over a month. Not even six weeks. Then Tom Brady had enough of life in retirement.

The seven-time Super Bowl winner announced his retirement on Sunday (13 March 2022), his return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“Unfinished business,” the 44-year-old said, was driving him back to the football field for his 23rd season in the NFL. Unfinished business.

In the sports world, Brady’s announcement caused jubilation, and the Bucs were also happy about the comeback of their superstar – logical, every franchise would probably rather have the “GOAT” in their ranks instead of having to look for a new quarterback in free agency or the draft.

Head coach Bruce Arians described his feelings with something like: “Total excitement. “

The Buccaneers’ “unfinished business “

However great the relief in Tampa at the return of “Tampa Toms” may be, it does not equate to another Super Bowl appearance.

Because like Brady, the Buccaneers still have a lot of business to take care of – “unfinished business” in the form of numerous free agents, expiring contracts and a negative cap space of -3,055,244 dollars (source: spotrac.com).

Unlike last year, when Tampa was able to retain all 22 starters on offense and defense, the 2022 team is bound to look a little different.

Left guard Ali Marpet announced his retirement in early March. The 28-year-old was the prototype of the indispensable shadow man, a, according to Arians, “rock in the middle of our offensive line”. If Marpet doesn’t suddenly get a taste for football again, Brady will be missing one of his most important protectors.

And the return of Marpet’s counterpart on the right side of the O-line is also anything but certain. Alex Cappa’s contract expired after the 2021 season, and the right guard is an unrestricted free agent. According to “ESPN”, the 27-year-old’s new employment contract is likely to be worth up to ten million dollars a year – wherever.

Another key player on the O-line, on the other hand, was retained: Centre Ryan Jensen signed a new three-year contract only hours after Brady’s comeback tweet, which will pay him up to 39 million dollars.

Also certain is the return of Chris Godwin. The Buccaneers franchise tagged the wide receiver, Brady’s favourite playmaker in the slot, for the second year in a row, paying him around $19 million in 2022.

The question marks in the offense: Gronk and Fournette

But some question marks remain.

The biggest – once again – is behind Rob Gronkowski. The tight end currently has no contract and is virtually retired. But Gronk already left that for Brady once. It’s quite possible that the 32-year-old will put his bones on the line for another year to go Lombardi Trophy hunting with his buddy.

And Leonard Fournette? The running back played each of the past two seasons under one-year contracts that paid him $2.5 million and $3.25 million, respectively. In 2022, his salary could be as high as $7 million. No mean feat for a ball carrier, even though he racked up a whopping 1,266 scrimmage yards in 14 games in 2021.

Tight end O.J. Howard and running back Ronald Jones are also free agents, but their departure seems to be a done deal, regardless of the decisions on Gronkowski and Fournette.

The question marks on defense: Davis, Whitehead, JPP, Suh

So much for the offence. But “unfinished business” also describes the situation on the other side of the ball quite well.

While Richard Sherman is likely to leave Tampa, the Buccaneers would like to keep fellow cornerback Carlton Davis, even though the 25-year-old has missed 14 games in four seasons due to injury (seven in 2021 alone). But at what price? According to “ESPN”, Davis is likely to seek an annual salary of around 17 million dollars, a lot of money for a cash-strapped franchise like the Bucs.

Especially since safety Jordan Whitehead is also expected to be retained. After all, his annual salary should be in the single-digit millions if he signs a new contract.

And Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh? Two pass rushers who brought the Buccaneers a lot of joy, especially in the Super Bowl season, but who are also relatively old – and cost relatively much. Linebacker JPP (33) last earned $12.5 million a year, defensive tackle Suh’s (35) 2021 contract was worth $9 million. If both are not willing to give up a significant portion of their salaries, they are likely to part ways.

The same goes for 31-year-old William Gholston, whose most recent annual salary was $5.5 million.

But the Buccaneers need not worry, at least here. With nose tackle Vita Vea (27) and linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (22), there are more than suitable – and younger – replacements in their ranks.

Will the “Brady effect” happen again?

Gronk, Fournette, Davis, Whitehead, Pierre-Paul, Suh, Gholston: The Buccaneers – who initially gave no details on Brady’s contract situation in 2022 – still have a huge personnel puzzle to solve before the new season.

General manager Jason Licht, however, expressed confidence after the TB12 return that all the puzzle pieces will find their proper place: “Now that that decision is made, we’ll move forward with our plans and reload the squad for another run at the title.”

But while there are almost infinite ways to reshape contracts to create cap space – the Bucs can’t possibly keep all the top performers.

Can they?

Who knows – maybe the infamous “Brady effect” will happen again. That chain reaction in which players voluntarily give up their salaries and turn down a better offer from another team just to be able to play with the “GOAT”.

Because this much is clear: if Tom Brady is your quarterback, you are automatically in the draw for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Older players in particular, who have already earned their golden noses in the course of their careers, might put potential success ahead of certain earnings and hang on for another year in Tampa.

After all, there is still some business to be done.