Buccaneers' Jason Licht on Tom Brady's Retirement: 'We'll Leave the Light On'

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said the team will leave the door open in case legendary quarterback Tom Brady decides he's not ready for retirement life.

Licht was asked about Brady, who retired with an Instagram post Feb. 1, during an appearance Tuesday on NFL Network's Good Morning Football. 

"We'll see what the future holds. Let's just say, we'll leave the light on," Licht said. "... We always leave the light on for a guy like Tom Brady."

Brady said in his announcement the NFL was an "all-in proposition" and he reached the conclusion he wasn't going to "make that competitive commitment anymore."

"I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention," he wrote.

A week later, however, the future Hall of Famer said on the Let's Go! podcast (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk) that he couldn't rule out a potential return, saying he could feel differently about the situation in six months.

"You know, I'm just gonna take things as they come," Brady said. "I think that's the best way to put it and I don't think anything, you know, you never say never. At the same time, I know that I'm very, I feel very good about my decision."

And so the rumor mill immediately started spinning with speculation about a potential return to Tampa Bay or a possible trade elsewhere.

Brady is under contract with the Bucs for 2022 despite his retirement. 

Licht faces the virtually impossible task of trying to replace the seven-time Super Bowl champion within a roster that's built to win now, so it doesn't come as a surprise he's willing to wait to see whether the quarterback changes his mind.

The other options aren't ideal. The Bucs selected Kyle Trask in the second round of last year's draft, but it's hard to know whether he's ready to lead the offense of a contender. It's also a lackluster offseason in terms of free agents and draft prospects at the position.

So, if Brady doesn't return, Licht and Co. are probably staring down a costly trade to acquire another proven veteran if they want to remain in the championship conversation.

It was a bit surprising the longtime New England Patriots superstar decided to walk away after a season in which he led the NFL in both passing yards (5,316) and passing touchdowns (43), so it wouldn't be a shock if that competitive fire returns before the 2022 season.

In turn, the Bucs are leaving the light on and hoping Brady answers their biggest offseason question for them with a single phone call.