Brent Grimes’ comments prove Buccaneers are in need of culture change

Brent Grimes complained about making $7 million. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did nothing to hold him accountable, that’s on everyone.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a losing culture. For the past decade, Tampa hasn’t reached the playoffs, and they have run through multiple head coaches on the road to nowhere.

Brent Grimes is one of the reasons why. A player who refused to meet his job requirements due to his salary, one that seemed to fit his worth, considering his age and declining production.

The problem also lies with decision makers above Grimes. The coaching staff who could have held Grimes accountable for not being a team player. The general manager could have also solved this problem by just cutting him.

Grimes’ explanation of his 2018 campaign with the Bucs was laughable. Especially with his recent comments on his wife’s podcast, “iHeartMiko.”

Grimes felt that his $7 million salary wasn’t enough for him to shadow number one receivers. Citing that other corners that shadow make $13-$15 million per season.

Grimes didn’t want to follow Antonio Brown and other top receivers because he was getting paid less than other cornerbacks, who mind you, are much younger.

I’m not sure if Grimes is aware of this, but he signed that deal. He didn’t have to return to Tampa Bay for one more season. The 35-year-old could have ridden off into the sunset. He put his initials on the dotted line. He signed up to play cornerback in the NFL.

Whether Mike Smith or whoever is coming up with the defensive scheme makes you a zone corner or a man-to-man corner, you play it. Grimes wouldn’t sacrifice for his team. He wasn’t a leader for a young secondary that he could have helped tremendously.

That’s simply unacceptable. It should be no secret why Tampa Bay was a trainwreck of late. They allow this kind of nonsense.

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Grimes then used his salary as an explanation for his subpar, at best, performance last season was laughable.

“That just f***ed up my whole vibe for the whole year to be completely honest,” Grimes said.

Really? The $7 million the Bucs gave you wasn’t enough motivation because you had to work a little harder?

As frustrating as Grimes’ attitude is, not one person in Tampa Bay held him accountable. Not head coach Dirk Koetter, not general manager Jason Licht.

The Buccaneers let Grimes play on one side of the field; the coaching staff never made him shadow anyone. They gave in to a 12-year veteran who wasn’t going to be on the team next season anyway.

Even when Tampa was eliminated from playoff contention, the Bucs continued to trot Grimes out there. A coaching staff with any backbone would have sat him on the bench and allowed a player who wants to prove himself to take the field.

Now, Licht could have pulled the cord on Grimes early in the season to make a statement. Instead, he allowed that type of cancer to wallow with the team for far too long.

The only person who came close was Jason Pierre-Paul, who criticized some of his teammates after the 2018 season came to a close.

“You just don’t care (about other things). You just play for each other. I think we have been playing for each other, but on the keeping it real point, I think we’ve got a lot of guys who just don’t keep it real, man,” told Eduardo Encina from the Tampa Bay Times.

As the old saying goes, “If the shoe fits.”

This entire situation proves why Tampa Bay is in need of a massive culture change. Licht needs to find a coach that will get players to buy into his system. To get the locker room to come together as one team.

He also needs to pay the right players. Players that actually care about football and not merely cashing a paycheck.