Bucs GM Jason Licht on Tom Brady's Impact On TB: 'We've Got the Ultimate Cheat Code'

Tom Brady returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will not only help the team on the field, but it's a major boost in free agency.

"When you have a player like Tom, who's the greatest quarterback of all-time, if not player, players want to play with a guy like that," Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht told reporters Monday. "So, it certainly helped, I can't lie. We've got the ultimate cheat code with Tom. So, we're going to take advantage of it while we have it."

Tampa Bay has already re-signed key players this offseason like receiver Chris Godwin, running back Leonard Fournette, center Ryan Jensen and cornerback Carlton Davis. 

"I think players like it here, regardless," Licht said. "But, having a player like that throwing the ball to them, or even being on the other side of the ball knowing that he's your quarterback, it certainly helps."

Brady immediately turned around the Buccaneers upon joining the team in 2020, leading the squad to a Super Bowl title after it went 12 years without even a playoff berth.

The organization then did everything it could to run it back in 2021, keeping free agents including Fournette, Ndamukong Suh, Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown and more. The team finished 13-4 in the regular season but fell short in the playoffs, losing to the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.

Though Brady initially retired after the season, the quarterback returned just before the start of free agency, and the team is once again a top contender to win a title. With Russell Gage and Logan Ryan also signing deals with Tampa Bay, the team could be even stronger in 2022.

There are still some question marks in free agency with Suh, Gronkowski and Jason Pierre-Paul currently unsigned. They might have to give a hometown discount in order to stay under the cap with the team having just $14.6 million in cap space, per Spotrac. 

The Buccaneers should still be able to build a quality team around Brady with as free agents look to join the contender.