Buccaneers: The best part about Tom Brady being in Tampa Bay

Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Tom Brady with the Pete Rozelle MVP Trophy (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Tom Brady with the Pete Rozelle MVP Trophy (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Tom Brady was a massive signing for the Buccaneers for numerous reasons, but the biggest thing that Brady brings is relevance to Tampa Bay.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been very far away from relevance for nearly two decades. After the Super Bowl win and the subsequent season, Tampa Bay hasn’t been an attractive destination for players and has rarely been in contention for anything.

Because of this low national standing, the Bucs have often been left out of primetime game slots, and the only thing that brought free agents to Tampa Bay was money.

Fortunately for the Buccaneers, all of those years of irrelevance are gone, at least for the next two seasons.

More from The Pewter Plank

Tom Brady has immediately made the Bucs one of the most talked-about franchises in the entire NFL. Free agents and retired players alike are doing everything in their power to come to Tampa Bay, and there are even an unprecedented five primetime games on the schedule for 2020.

Some fans may be upset with the front office for moving on from Jameis Winston, but it is hard for almost any other player in the league to compete with Brady’s star power.

For the first time in years, the Buccaneers will actually be playing in front of a home crowd. Raymond James Stadium will finally be covered in pewter and red rather than the color scheme of the away teams.

Raymond James has also rarely been filled in recent seasons, but fans will now be traveling from all over the world to see Tom Brady play.

The entire direction of the franchise has changed. The Bucs are now favored to make the playoffs, and some people see Tampa Bay as a contender in the NFC. Regardless of what happens this season, it is likely that the same will be true in 2021.

If the Buccaneers play their cards right, they will use these next two years to keep the team squarely in the focus of the media. Tom Brady may only be a Buccaneer for the next two seasons, but the culture in Tampa Bay has the possibility of pulling a complete 180, and this change could carry over long after Brady leaves.

If the team succeeds in 2020 and 2021, the prime time games will likely continue, and free agents will still want to come to Tampa Bay. Brady has laid the foundation for improvement for the Buccaneers, and that in and of itself is the most important thing that this signing brought.

Schedule