Tom Brady Rumors: Bucs Believe QB Has 'A Couple' More Super Bowl Seasons Left

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers reportedly believe former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has "a couple" more championship-level seasons left and think they have enough talent around him to make a serious push to win a Super Bowl during that time frame.

Peter King of NBC Sports reported Monday the Bucs also think Brady will have an overwhelming positive impact on the locker room because of his "never-ending search for perfection," which will resonate within the organization even after his playing days are over.

Tampa Bay signed the 42-year-old future Hall of Famer to a two-year, $50 million contract in free agency. The deal includes a $15 million base salary and a $10 million roster bonus each season and doesn't allow him to get traded or tagged, per Spotrac.

Brady is coming off a down season with the Patriots—his 88.0 passer rating was his lowest since 2013 and his third-lowest since 2004—but at least some of that can be attributed to a lack of weapons.

Julian Edelman led the way with 100 catches for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns. Running back James White was second on the team with 72 receptions, and no other player reached 30 grabs.

The lack of a big-play weapon outside was evident, and it kept the longtime signal-caller's overall numbers down despite a strong 24-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Brady expressed excitement about his new chapter in an Instagram post Friday:

"Excited, humble and hungry...if there is one thing I have learned about football, it's that nobody cares what you did last year or the year before that...you earn the trust and respect of those around through your commitment every single day. I'm starting a new football journey and thankful for the Buccaneers for giving me an opportunity to do what I love to do. I look forward to meeting all my new teammates and coaches and proving to them that they can believe and trust in me...I have always believed that well done is better than well said, so I'm not gonna say much more - I'm just gonna get to work!"

Meanwhile, the Bucs were a sleeping giant before Brady's arrival and are now firmly in the championship conversation.

They feature a myriad weapons—running back Ronald Jones II, wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and tight ends Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard—and one of the game's best offensive minds in head coach Bruce Arians.

Tampa ranked 29th in points allowed per game last season (28.1), but the underlying numbers are far more promising. The unit finished fifth in defensive DVOA (per Football Outsiders) and tied for sixth in yards allowed per play (TeamRankings).

Swapping out the mistake-prone Jameis Winston for the hyper-efficient Brady should give the defense a much greater chance of success by limiting drives starting in their own territory.

All told, the Bucs believe the six-time Super Bowl champion has a few high-end years left in his right arm, and if they're right, there's a good chance he'll deliver the franchise its second title thanks to a terrific supporting cast.